Definition, Meaning & Synonyms
groundling
noun
/ˈɡraʊnd.lɪŋ/
Definition
A groundling is a person of lower social status, particularly one who attends a performance in the cheap seats, often used in reference to the audience of Shakespeare’s plays who stood in the pit.
Examples
- In Shakespeare’s time, a groundling would have been a member of the audience who stood in the yard.
- Despite being a groundling, he enjoyed the play just as much as the nobles in the gallery.
Meaning
The term denotes someone who is considered of lower status or someone who has very basic knowledge or understanding about a subject.
Synonyms
- Commoner
- Peasant
- Lower-class person
- Unrefined spectator
