foot soldier
Lowest-ranking combatant
A foot soldier is a soldier who fights on foot rather than on horseback or in vehicles—infantry.
The term extends figuratively to anyone doing the ground-level work of an organization: Party foot soldiers knocked on doors across the district.
The connotation is of loyal, unglamorous effort in service of leaders or a larger cause.
Ground-based combat soldier
- riflemanArmed soldier or NZ bird
- trooperMounted soldier or patroller
- privateRestricted to certain parties
- enlistedSigned up formally
recruit · conscript · draftee · GI · dogface · squaddie · doughboy · fusilier
Rhythmic group walk
- patrolRegular surveillance route
- trenchLong narrow excavation
- foxholeMilitary defensive excavation
- bunkerReinforced subterranean stronghold
bivouac · encampment · frontline · flank · reconnaissance · ambush · skirmish · engagement
infantryman
Ground-based combat soldier
- riflemanArmed soldier or NZ bird
- trooperMounted soldier or patroller
- privateRestricted to certain parties
enlisted · recruit · conscript · draftee · GI · dogface · squaddie · doughboy · fusilier · regular
march
Rhythmic group walk
bunker · bivouac · encampment · frontline · flank · reconnaissance · ambush · skirmish · engagement · advance
expendable
Able to be sacrificed
operative · worker · loyalist · lackey · henchman · low-level · rank and file · cog · subordinate · disposable
combatant
One who fights
- fighterOne who engages in combat
- legionnaireSoldier in a legion
- mercenarySoldier fighting for pay
commando · guerrilla · veteran · militant · raider · centurion · hoplite · sepoy · redcoat · musketeer
- militarysoldiers, army, troops, officers, navy
- combatantswarrior, fighter, swordsman, spearman, infantryman
- warriorsfighter, knight, footsoldier, barbarian, samurai
- body idiomsheart of gold, heart of stone, cold heart, warm heart, soft heart
- accomplicesaccomplice, accessory, co-conspirator, abettor, collaborator
- infantryrifleman, riflemen, infantryman, infantrymen, grunts
foot soldiercavalryman
Soldier who fights mounted
cavalry · horseman · mounted soldier · dragoon · lancer
foot soldiergeneral
Widespread, not specialized
officer · commanding officer · commander · field marshal · admiral
foot soldierleader
One who guides others
mastermind · kingpin · boss · chief · ringleader
foot, soldier, footing, footwear, infantry, underfoot, afoot, footman, footsore