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.
The movie tells the story of a teenager avenging the deaths of his family at the hands of hordes of carnivorous demons and, against all the odds, it has been embraced by critics and audiences alike. Caroline Reid, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025 Like its predecessor, Age of Imprisonment isn’t exactly a typical Zelda game, instead borrowing the design of musou series like Dynasty Warriors for hard-hitting combat against hordes of enemies. Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 12 Sep. 2025 That has drawn an influx of fans who might not be ready for the chainsaw-wielding hordes of scare actors who greet visitors each night. Robert Niles, Oc Register, 9 Sep. 2025 As many other countries clamp down on the super-rich, Italy has been bucking the trend; its accommodative flat-tax regime has enticed hordes of big spenders drawn to luxury living and Milan's increasingly bustling business scene. Yeo Boon Ping, CNBC, 8 Sep. 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 16 Sep. 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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