Other forms: underlings
An underling is somebody of low rank who takes orders. A mere underling, send an underling, his underlings.
It is always used from above or in complaint, since nobody calls themselves one. The -ling ending is the same diminutive as in duckling, and it does the belittling on its own.
1noununderlingSomebody of low rank who takes orders.
“The boss never did his own photocopying; he always sent an underling.”
underling is a subordinate.
Old English underling is under plus the diminutive ending -ling.
Old English
underling
Middle English
underling
English, today
underling
From Middle English underling, from Old English underling. by surface analysis, en + under + ling.
Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA