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

The delightful and deceptively deep family mystery comedy stars Hugh Jackman as an English shepherd who is found dead. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 10 July 2026

After the snake man left in the morning, the shepherd scuttled down to the newspaper offices. — Literary Hub, 10 July 2026

Verb

The diverse and tuition-free, year-long directing workshop enters its 52nd year and will again shepherd underrepresented and emerging filmmakers through the production cycle of a short film. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 13 July 2026

The two-time Emmy winner penned 10 episodes of Vince Gilligan’s landmark crime series before staying with Sony/AMC to shepherd four seasons of the genre-bending Preacher. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 13 July 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