herd

1 of 2

noun

ˈhərd 

1

a

: a typically large group of animals of one kind kept together under human control

a herd of cattle

b

: a congregation of gregarious wild animals

herds of antelopes

2

a(1)

: a group of people usually having a common bond

a herd of tourists

(2)

: a large assemblage of like things

herds of cars

b

: the undistinguished masses : crowd

… isolate the individual prophets from the herd …

—Norman Cousins

refused to follow the herd [=do what other people do]

herdlike

ˈhərd-ˌlīk 

adjective

herd

2 of 2

verb

herded; herding; herds

transitive verb

1

a

: to gather, lead, or drive as if in a herd (see herd entry 1 sense 1a)

herded the children into the car

b

: to keep or move (animals) together

dogs that are trained to herd sheep

2

: to place in a group

… herd us with their kindred fools …

—Jonathan Swift

intransitive verb

1

: to assemble or move in a herd (see herd entry 1)

herding onto the subway

2

: to place oneself in a group : associate

… it is desirable that young noblemen should herd …

—Sir Walter Scott

Synonyms of herd

Noun

• flock

Verb

• drive

Examples of herd in a Sentence

Noun

The herd grazed peacefully in the pasture.

A herd of shoppers waited anxiously for the store to open.

Verb

The horses were herded into the corral.

We left the hotel and were herded onto a bus.

They herded the students into the auditorium.

The commuters herded onto the train.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Along the shore of the Tethys Ocean, a herd of prosauropod dinosaurs walks across an extensive muddy carbonate plain during low tide. —CBS News, 16 Dec. 2025

Michigan has an abundant deer population, with estimates placing the state's herd around 2 million. —Arpan Lobo, Freep.com, 16 Dec. 2025

Verb

The salmon are too large for the dolphins themselves to eat, but the researchers found that once the dolphins led the orcas to the schools of fish, the whales herded them to the surface where the rest of the pod gobbled them up. —New Atlas, 12 Dec. 2025

Topping the list is the border collie—an agile, energetic breed with intense focus that excels at herding and needs lots of physical and mental stimulation to stay content. —Maria Azzurra Volpe, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Dec. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English, from Old English heord; akin to Old High German herta herd, Middle Welsh cordd troop, Lithuanian kerdžius shepherd

First Known Use

Noun

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

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Phrases Containing herd

• herd immunity
• herd mentality
• ride herd on
• the herd

Rhymes for herd

• blurred
• burd
• curd
• curred
• furred
• gerd
• gird
• kurd
• nerd
• purred
• sherd
• slurred

Kids Definition

herd

1 of 2 noun

ˈhərd 

1

: a number of animals of one kind kept or living together

2

: the common people

herd

2 of 2 verb

1

: to assemble or come together into a herd or group

2

: to gather, lead, or drive a herd

herd cattle

herder noun