horde

noun

1
a
: a political subdivision of central Asian nomads
b
: a people or tribe of nomadic life
2
: a large unorganized group of individuals : a teeming crowd or throng
hordes of peasants
Choose the Right Synonym for horde

crowd, throng, horde, crush, mob mean an assembled multitude.

crowd implies a close gathering and pressing together.

a crowd gathered

throng and horde suggest movement and pushing.

a throng of reporters
a horde of shoppers

crush emphasizes the compactness of the group, the difficulty of individual movement, and the attendant discomfort.

a crush of fans

mob implies a disorderly crowd with the potential for violence.

an angry mob

Examples of horde in a Sentence

A horde of tourists entered the museum. Hordes of reporters were shouting questions.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Even after winning just 34 games last season, the Spurs are well-positioned for a timeline-altering move — armed with young talent, a clean cap sheet and roster flexibility in addition to a horde of draft capital (San Antonio has 13 first-round picks through 2032). Jon Krawczynski, New York Times, 14 June 2025 World-building Epics The Walking Dead Both an apocalyptic drama and a world-building epic, AMC’s The Walking Dead has everything a fan of The Last of Us could want: a horde of undead, beloved characters, and great action. Barry Levitt, Time, 26 May 2025 Cue a horde of amateur fossil enthusiasts excitedly scouring their travertine for signs of important archaeological finds. Ashley Belanger – May 22, ArsTechnica, 22 May 2025 Viewers were able to see the adult cat nestled in a barn pen, looking completely at ease as a horde of tiny kittens surrounded her. Melissa Fleur Afshar, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for horde

Word History

Etymology

Middle French, German, & Polish; Middle French & German, from Polish horda, from Ukrainian dialect gorda, alteration of Ukrainian orda, from Old Russian, from Turkic orda, ordu khan's residence

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of horde was in 1555

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Horde.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horde. Accessed 26 Jun. 2025.

Kids Definition

horde

noun
ˈhō(ə)rd How to pronounce horde (audio)
ˈhȯ(ə)rd
1
: a wandering people or tribe
2
: a great multitude : throng, swarm
hordes of tourists

More from Merriam-Webster on horde

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