poor relation

noun

1. a person or thing considered inferior to another or others

   plastic is a poor relation of real leather

Idioms and Phrases

An inferior member of a group, as in Many regard Turkey as the poor relation in the European alliance. This expression, first recorded in 1720 for a family member in humble circumstances, began to be used figuratively in the mid-1900s.

Related Words

• aide 
• assistant 
• deputy 
• servant 
• underling