runners-up
UK[ˌrʌnəz ˈʌp]US[ˌrʌnərz ˈʌp]
n
The competitors who finish a race or contest in second place, or sometimes also in third place.
n
A person or thing that is in a position immediately behind the winner.
Morpheme Breakdown
runner
s
up
runner
one who runs
s
plural
up
in a position behind
Etymology
The compound 'runner-up' originated in 18th-century English fox hunting, where it referred to the hound that finished second in the final heat. The term is formed from the agent noun 'runner' (one who runs) combined with the adverb 'up', used in the sense of being 'up' or next in line after the winner. The plural form 'runners-up' follows the standard English rule of pluralizing the primary noun ('runner'), not the following particle, preserving the original syntactic structure. This construction illustrates how English creates specific competitive terminology by combining common words to denote precise rankings.
Analysis
Structure: runner (one who runs) + s (plural) + up (in a position behind)
runner: From Middle English renner, from Old English rinnere (a runner, messenger), from the verb rinnan (to run). Germanic origin.
s: A native English plural suffix.
up: From Old English upp, up (adverb, preposition), of Germanic origin.
Examples
The silver medal was awarded to the runners-up in the competition.
After the champion, the two runners-up also qualified for the international finals.
She finished as the runner-up in last year's tournament but won it this time.