underling

[ uhn-der-ling ]
See synonyms for underling on Thesaurus.com
noun
  1. a subordinate, especially one of slight importance.

Origin of underling

1
1125–75; Middle English. See under-, -ling1

Other words for underling

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use underling in a sentence

  • Having killed his man and beaten off the two underlings, Byrne first took sanctuary, and then fled to Portugal.

  • The underlings were very largely Armenians, who form most admirable subordinates in all Government offices.

    The Cradle of Mankind | W.A. Wigram
  • He had carte blanche in the matter of expense, and of course selected all his own underlings.

  • For no one, except a thief and his underlings, knew of the last folly of poor old Adela Sellingworth!

    December Love | Robert Hichens
  • They were the Buchanan office-holders and their underlings, and, generally, a contemptible lot.

British Dictionary definitions for underling

underling

/ (ˈʌndəlɪŋ) /


noun
  1. a subordinate or lackey

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012