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

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

Zuriguel and his colleagues worked with a shepherd in the mountains outside the city of Zaragoza to run a hundred sheep at a time through a doorway to receive food on the other side. —Ari Daniel, NPR, 27 Oct. 2025

Jake Gyllenhaal once thanked Miller on late night TV for helping restore his German shepherd’s dignity. —Jane Stern, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2025

Verb

In the years following the Civil Rights Movement, shepherded by Black Americans, women were fighting to find an equal place in society. —Aramide Tinubu, Variety, 29 Oct. 2025

Bailey served for 14 years as President of Disney Worldwide Production, shepherding several billion-dollar blockbuster releases, including Pirates of the Caribbean, Beauty and the Beast, Aladdin, and The Lion King. —Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 28 Oct. 2025

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

1790, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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