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

Pablo Escobar's reign of terror didn't end with his death and continues today in the form of a horde of hippos plaguing the Colombian countryside. —Carlie Procell, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026

Oldham knew the Beatles played primarily to hordes of screaming girls. —Literary Hub, 21 Apr. 2026

While the course’s low rates have attracted hordes of players, the city has determined that much of the problem stems from the golf course’s 86 annual members, who provide the least amount of revenue yet account for one-quarter of the golf course’s total usage, according to Couceyro. —Michelle Marchante, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2026

At first glance, the horde of pedestrians — mostly young women — circling the streets of Santa Monica in late January appeared to be a run club. —Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 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