Meanings
nounrunner-up (plural runners-up or (colloquial, nonstandard) runner-ups)
plural runners-up · colloquial nonstandard plural runner-ups · alternative runner up
- The person who finishes second, or in any position after the first.
Remember, if the winner cannot complete the duties, the runner-up will take over.
- Second favourite.
For years, Twitter was a runner-up social media company. It never grew to the size and scale of a Facebook or an Instagram. It simply muddled along.
2022 July 11, Kate Conger, Mike Isaac, “How Elon Musk Damaged Twitter and Left It Worse Off”, in The New York Times, →ISSN
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Translations
Arabic وَصِيفَة
- وَصِيفَة (waṣīfa)the person who finishes in any position after the first
Bulgarian вицешампион, подгласник
- вицешампион (vicešampion)the person who finishes in any position after the first
- подгласник (podglasnik)the person who finishes in any position after the first
Chinese Cantonese 亞軍 /亚军, 第二名
- 亞軍 /亚军 (aa³ gwan¹)the person who finishes in any position after the first
- 第二名 (dai⁶ ji⁶ ming⁴)the person who finishes in any position after the first
Chinese Mandarin 亞軍 /亚军, 第二名
- 亞軍 /亚军 (yàjūn)the person who finishes in any position after the first
- 第二名 (dì'èrmíng)the person who finishes in any position after the first
Czech druhý v pořadí
- druhý v pořadíthe person who finishes in any position after the first
Danish toer
- toerthe person who finishes in any position after the first
Dutch 2de plaats
- 2de plaatsthe person who finishes in any position after the first
Finnish kakkonen, toiseksi tullut
- kakkonenthe person who finishes in any position after the first
- toiseksi tullutthe person who finishes in any position after the first
- tokathe person who finishes in any position after the first
- perintöprinsessathe person who finishes in any position after the first
French vice-champion, vice-championne
- vice-championthe person who finishes in any position after the first
- vice-championnethe person who finishes in any position after the first
German Vizemeister, Vizemeisterin
- Vizemeisterthe person who finishes in any position after the first
- Vizemeisterinthe person who finishes in any position after the first
- Zweitplatzierterthe person who finishes in any position after the first
- Zweitplatziertethe person who finishes in any position after the first
- Zweiterthe person who finishes in any position after the first
- Zweitethe person who finishes in any position after the first
Greek επιλαχών
- επιλαχών (epilachón)the person who finishes in any position after the first
Hindi उपविजेता
- उपविजेता (upvijetā)the person who finishes in any position after the first
Hungarian második helyezett, döntős
- második helyezettthe person who finishes in any position after the first
- döntősthe person who finishes in any position after the first
- helyezettthe person who finishes in any position after the first
Indonesian juara kedua, peringkat kedua
- juara keduathe person who finishes in any position after the first
- peringkat keduathe person who finishes in any position after the first
- wakil juarathe person who finishes in any position after the first
Italian finalista, vicecampione
- finalistathe person who finishes in any position after the first
- vicecampionethe person who finishes in any position after the first
Japanese 次点者, 次点
- 次点者 (jitensha)the person who finishes in any position after the first
- 次点 (jiten)the person who finishes in any position after the first
- 二番 (niban)the person who finishes in any position after the first
Korean 차점자
- 차점자 (chajeomja)the person who finishes in any position after the first
Malay naib johan, naib juara
- naib johanthe person who finishes in any position after the first
- naib juarathe person who finishes in any position after the first
- tempat keduathe person who finishes in any position after the first
Māori tuarua
- tuaruathe person who finishes in any position after the first
Norwegian Bokmål toer
- toerthe person who finishes in any position after the first
Polish wicemistrz
- wicemistrzthe person who finishes in any position after the first
Portuguese segundo colocado, segundo
- segundo colocadothe person who finishes in any position after the first
- segundothe person who finishes in any position after the first
- vice-campeãothe person who finishes in any position after the first
Russian заня́вший второ́е ме́сто, заня́вшая второ́е ме́сто
- заня́вший второ́е ме́сто (zanjávšij vtoróje mésto)the person who finishes in any position after the first
- заня́вшая второ́е ме́сто (zanjávšaja vtoróje mésto)the person who finishes in any position after the first
- вице-ми́сс (vice-míss)the person who finishes in any position after the first
Spanish subcampeón, subcampeona
- subcampeónthe person who finishes in any position after the first
- subcampeonathe person who finishes in any position after the first
- finalistathe person who finishes in any position after the first
- princesathe person who finishes in any position after the first
- suplente (id)the person who finishes in any position after the first
Swedish tvåa
- tvåathe person who finishes in any position after the first
Tagalog napabilang, pangalawang-nabibilang
- napabilangthe person who finishes in any position after the first
- pangalawang-nabibilangthe person who finishes in any position after the first
- prinsesathe person who finishes in any position after the first
Vietnamese á quân
- á quânthe person who finishes in any position after the first
Cite this entry
APA
runner-up. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/runner-up
MLA
“runner-up.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/runner-up. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “runner-up,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/runner-up.
Source: runner-up on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.