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 of shepherd

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

Emanuel and White served as VIP shepherds at times, bringing dignitaries over to talk to Trump when the action was quiet in the octagon, and commercials were rolling for viewers on TV. —Alex Weprin, HollywoodReporter, 15 June 2026

Kylie and Jason are parents to daughters Wyatt, 6, Elliotte, 5, Bennett, 3, and Finn, 1, and currently have two dogs — an Irish wolfhound named Patty and a German shepherd named Freddy. —Rachel McRady, PEOPLE, 11 June 2026

Verb

The villa felt like a part of the group itself, a doting nonna shepherding our family to enjoy time with one another. —Lauren Arzbaecher, Architectural Digest, 12 June 2026

We’re shepherded out onto the Monaco track and stationed at one of the last corners. —Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 12 June 2026

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

circa 1822, in the meaning defined at sense 2

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