"underling" meaning in English

See underling in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Audio: en-us-underling.ogg Forms: underlings [plural]
Etymology: From under + -ling. Etymology templates: {{suffix|en|under|ling}} under + -ling Head templates: {{en-noun}} underling (plural underlings)
  1. A subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority. Categories (topical): People Translations (a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority): 下屬 (Chinese Mandarin), 下属 (xiàshǔ) (Chinese Mandarin), ondergeschikte (Dutch), alainen (Finnish), käskyläinen [derogatory] (Finnish), subordonné [masculine] (French), sous-fifre [masculine] (French), Untergebener [masculine] (German), Untergebene [feminine] (German), Untertan [masculine] (German), Unterling [masculine] (German), beosztott (Hungarian), 下っ端 (shitappa) (alt: したっぱ) (Japanese), sosoran (Javanese), subiectus [masculine] (Latin), подчинённый (podčinjónnyj) [masculine] (Russian), ме́лкая со́шка (mélkaja sóška) [derogatory, feminine] (Russian), ลูกน้อง (lûuk-nɔ́ɔng) (Thai)
    Sense id: en-underling-en-noun-La0xm5Ff Disambiguation of People: 74 26 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English terms suffixed with -ling, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with German translations, Terms with Hungarian translations, Terms with Japanese translations, Terms with Javanese translations, Terms with Latin translations, Terms with Mandarin translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Thai translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 76 24 Disambiguation of English terms suffixed with -ling: 93 7 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 92 8 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 93 7 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 95 5 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 94 6 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 89 11 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 96 4 Disambiguation of Terms with German translations: 92 8 Disambiguation of Terms with Hungarian translations: 70 30 Disambiguation of Terms with Japanese translations: 96 4 Disambiguation of Terms with Javanese translations: 69 31 Disambiguation of Terms with Latin translations: 96 4 Disambiguation of Terms with Mandarin translations: 92 8 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 96 4 Disambiguation of Terms with Thai translations: 69 31 Disambiguation of 'a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority': 90 10
  2. A low, wretched person.
    Sense id: en-underling-en-noun-D6DZfvlH
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Related terms: groundling, hireling

Inflected forms

{
  "antonyms": [
    {
      "word": "overling"
    }
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "de",
            "2": "Unterling",
            "cal": "1"
          },
          "expansion": "→ German: Unterling (calque)",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "→ German: Unterling (calque)"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "under",
        "3": "ling"
      },
      "expansion": "under + -ling",
      "name": "suffix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From under + -ling.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "underlings",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "underling (plural underlings)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "groundling"
    },
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "hireling"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "76 24",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "93 7",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms suffixed with -ling",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "92 8",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "93 7",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "95 5",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "94 6",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Dutch translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "89 11",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Finnish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "96 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "92 8",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with German translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "70 30",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Hungarian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "96 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Japanese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "69 31",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Javanese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "96 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Latin translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "92 8",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Mandarin translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "96 4",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "69 31",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Thai translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "74 26",
          "kind": "topical",
          "langcode": "en",
          "name": "People",
          "orig": "en:People",
          "parents": [
            "Human",
            "All topics",
            "Fundamental"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], lines 140-141:",
          "text": "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, / But in ourselves, that we are underlings.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:",
          "text": "\"I love not that underlings should perceive my wisdom.\"",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2022 December 7, Simon Shuster, “2022 Person of the Year: Volodymyr Zelensky”, in Time:",
          "text": "His decision to stay at the compound in the face of possible assassination set an example, making it more difficult for his underlings to cut and run. “Anyone who left is a traitor,” Ruslan Stefanchuk, the speaker of Ukraine’s parliament, told its members a few hours after the invasion started.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023 November 7, Rob Copeland, “‘Ray, This Is a Religion’”, in New York Magazine:",
          "text": "So read the email from Ray Dalio, founder of the world’s largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, and a billionaire many times over. It would be read by more than 1,000 of his underlings at the company.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority."
      ],
      "id": "en-underling-en-noun-La0xm5Ff",
      "links": [
        [
          "subordinate",
          "subordinate"
        ],
        [
          "person",
          "person"
        ],
        [
          "lesser",
          "lesser"
        ],
        [
          "rank",
          "rank"
        ],
        [
          "authority",
          "authority"
        ]
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority",
          "word": "下屬"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "xiàshǔ",
          "sense": "a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority",
          "word": "下属"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "nl",
          "lang": "Dutch",
          "sense": "a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority",
          "word": "ondergeschikte"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority",
          "word": "alainen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "fi",
          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority",
          "tags": [
            "derogatory"
          ],
          "word": "käskyläinen"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "subordonné"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "sous-fifre"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Untergebener"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "Untergebene"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Untertan"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "de",
          "lang": "German",
          "sense": "a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "Unterling"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "hu",
          "lang": "Hungarian",
          "sense": "a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority",
          "word": "beosztott"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "alt": "したっぱ",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "shitappa",
          "sense": "a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority",
          "word": "下っ端"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "jv",
          "lang": "Javanese",
          "sense": "a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority",
          "word": "sosoran"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "sense": "a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "subiectus"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "podčinjónnyj",
          "sense": "a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "подчинённый"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "mélkaja sóška",
          "sense": "a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority",
          "tags": [
            "derogatory",
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "ме́лкая со́шка"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "90 10",
          "code": "th",
          "lang": "Thai",
          "roman": "lûuk-nɔ́ɔng",
          "sense": "a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority",
          "word": "ลูกน้อง"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A low, wretched person."
      ],
      "id": "en-underling-en-noun-D6DZfvlH"
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-us-underling.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/bc/En-us-underling.ogg/En-us-underling.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/En-us-underling.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "word": "underling"
}
{
  "antonyms": [
    {
      "word": "overling"
    }
  ],
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms suffixed with -ling",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Terms with Dutch translations",
    "Terms with Finnish translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with German translations",
    "Terms with Hungarian translations",
    "Terms with Japanese translations",
    "Terms with Javanese translations",
    "Terms with Latin translations",
    "Terms with Mandarin translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Thai translations",
    "en:People"
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "depth": 1,
      "templates": [
        {
          "args": {
            "1": "de",
            "2": "Unterling",
            "cal": "1"
          },
          "expansion": "→ German: Unterling (calque)",
          "name": "desc"
        }
      ],
      "text": "→ German: Unterling (calque)"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "under",
        "3": "ling"
      },
      "expansion": "under + -ling",
      "name": "suffix"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From under + -ling.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "underlings",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "underling (plural underlings)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "groundling"
    },
    {
      "word": "hireling"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1599 (first performance), William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of Iulius Cæsar”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii], lines 140-141:",
          "text": "The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, / But in ourselves, that we are underlings.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1886 October – 1887 January, H[enry] Rider Haggard, She: A History of Adventure, London: Longmans, Green, and Co., published 1887, →OCLC:",
          "text": "\"I love not that underlings should perceive my wisdom.\"",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2022 December 7, Simon Shuster, “2022 Person of the Year: Volodymyr Zelensky”, in Time:",
          "text": "His decision to stay at the compound in the face of possible assassination set an example, making it more difficult for his underlings to cut and run. “Anyone who left is a traitor,” Ruslan Stefanchuk, the speaker of Ukraine’s parliament, told its members a few hours after the invasion started.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2023 November 7, Rob Copeland, “‘Ray, This Is a Religion’”, in New York Magazine:",
          "text": "So read the email from Ray Dalio, founder of the world’s largest hedge fund, Bridgewater Associates, and a billionaire many times over. It would be read by more than 1,000 of his underlings at the company.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "subordinate",
          "subordinate"
        ],
        [
          "person",
          "person"
        ],
        [
          "lesser",
          "lesser"
        ],
        [
          "rank",
          "rank"
        ],
        [
          "authority",
          "authority"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A low, wretched person."
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "en-us-underling.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/b/bc/En-us-underling.ogg/En-us-underling.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bc/En-us-underling.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority",
      "word": "下屬"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "xiàshǔ",
      "sense": "a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority",
      "word": "下属"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority",
      "word": "ondergeschikte"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority",
      "word": "alainen"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority",
      "tags": [
        "derogatory"
      ],
      "word": "käskyläinen"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "subordonné"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "sous-fifre"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Untergebener"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "Untergebene"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Untertan"
    },
    {
      "code": "de",
      "lang": "German",
      "sense": "a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "Unterling"
    },
    {
      "code": "hu",
      "lang": "Hungarian",
      "sense": "a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority",
      "word": "beosztott"
    },
    {
      "alt": "したっぱ",
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "shitappa",
      "sense": "a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority",
      "word": "下っ端"
    },
    {
      "code": "jv",
      "lang": "Javanese",
      "sense": "a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority",
      "word": "sosoran"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "sense": "a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "subiectus"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "podčinjónnyj",
      "sense": "a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "подчинённый"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "mélkaja sóška",
      "sense": "a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority",
      "tags": [
        "derogatory",
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "ме́лкая со́шка"
    },
    {
      "code": "th",
      "lang": "Thai",
      "roman": "lûuk-nɔ́ɔng",
      "sense": "a subordinate, or person of lesser rank or authority",
      "word": "ลูกน้อง"
    }
  ],
  "word": "underling"
}

Download raw JSONL data for underling meaning in English (5.8kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-21 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (d8cb2f3 and 4e554ae). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.