shepherd

1 of 2

noun

shep·​herd ˈshe-pərd 

1

: a person who tends sheep

2

: pastor

3

: german shepherd

shepherd

2 of 2

verb

shepherded; shepherding; shepherds

transitive verb

1

: to tend as a shepherd

2

: to guide or guard in the manner of a shepherd

shepherded the bill through Congress

Synonyms

Verb

• guide
• coach
• mentor

Examples of shepherd in a Sentence

Verb

She carefully shepherded the children across the street.

They shepherded the bill through Congress.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Age-old traditions endure, like cantu a tenore–traditional shepherds’ songs–recognized on UNESCO’s intangible cultural heritage list. —Alexandra Kirkman, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025

Their two dogs, German shepherds Meeko and Sona, a father-daughter duo, did not survive the blaze. —Angela Andaloro, People.com, 7 Aug. 2025

Verb

Even Golden, who’d helped shepherd the original bill mandating a map, began to waver. —Rob Davis, ProPublica, 7 Aug. 2025

Last month, a group of more than 100 employees sent a letter to the group’s board of directors expressing concerns that Mr. Jealous was not prepared to shepherd the 132-year-old organization through a second Trump administration. —New York Times, 11 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English sheepherde, from Old English scēaphyrde, from scēap sheep + hierde herdsman; akin to Old English heord herd

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1790, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing shepherd

• Anatolian shepherd
• Australian shepherd
• English shepherd
• German shepherd
• shepherd dog
• shepherd's check
• shepherd's pie
• shepherd's purse

Rhymes for shepherd

• leopard
• peppered

Kids Definition

shepherd

1 of 2 noun

shep·​herd ˈshep-ərd 

1

: a person who takes care of sheep

2

: german shepherd

shepherd

2 of 2 verb

: to care for as or as if a shepherd