noun ·Uncommon ·Advanced level

Definitions

Noun

1. 1
   A subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority.

   "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, / But in ourselves, that we are underlings."

2. 2
   an assistant subject to the authority or control of another wordnet
3. 3
   A low, wretched person.

Synonyms

All synonyms

subordinateassistantattendantcogcommonalitycommonalty

Antonyms

All antonyms

overling

Example

More examples

"You're just an underling. Know your place!"

Etymology

From Middle English underling, from Old English underling. By surface analysis, under + -ling.

Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.