horde

noun

ˈhȯrd 

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

Synonyms of horde

• swarm
• throng
• crowd
• flock
• mob

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

That’s why, to my mind, the more exciting development in Season 3 is much more intimate in scope than hordes of troops descending into chaos. —Alison Herman, Variety, 15 June 2026

According to reporting from the New York Times, the England National Team is known to draw hordes of fans and journalists during the tournament. —Taylor O'Connor, Kansas City Star, 9 June 2026

The fantastic atmosphere, thanks in large part to the hordes of Polish fans supporting Chwalińska on Court Philippe-Chatrier, made this a delight. —Ava Wallace, New York Times, 8 June 2026

Popular destinations like Nantucket and the villages of the Hamptons draw hordes of visitors in summer, making restaurants hard to get into and lines for ice cream stretch down the block. —Kira Turnbull, Travel + Leisure, 6 June 2026

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

Rhymes for horde

• board
• bored
• chord
• cord
• corde
• cored
• fjord
• floored
• gored
• gourd
• hoard
• lord

Kids Definition

horde

noun

ˈhō(ə)rd 

ˈhȯ(ə)rd

1

: a wandering people or tribe

2

: a great multitude : throng, swarm

hordes of tourists