Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

underling

American  
[uhn-der-ling] / ˈʌn dər lɪŋ /

noun

  1. a subordinate, especially one of slight importance.

    Synonyms:
    hireling, lackey, flunky, menial
underling British  
/ 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

Etymology

Origin of underling

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Under the cover of darkness, an underling used satellite imagery to pick his way through vineyards near the prison before tossing a pillowcase over the walls.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 29, 2025

In his statement, he said the comments made to the undercover reporter were "empty words and not a true account of the underling incident".

From BBC • Oct. 24, 2025

On Tuesday, he held a press conference to announce relatively minor news that could have been delivered by an underling: He intended to move U.S.

From Salon • Sep. 4, 2025

What kind of terrible employer has an underling borrow against his own home to cover up his boss’s sordid lies and extra-marital affairs?

From Slate • Jun. 3, 2024

It was usually Sherrie Chin-Watt or Cameron Jenkins who was with him, less often Janice or some underling like Eduardo or me.

From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.