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

Town of Yorktown Supporters said the killing of the 12-year-old shepherd-husky mix struck a chord in their community. — Naveen Dhaliwal, CBS News, 12 Aug. 2026

Ace, a 7-year-old German shepherd who has served with the Polk County Sheriff's Office since March 2020, was wounded as deputies attempted to arrest 27-year-old Angel Bowers. — Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 12 Aug. 2026

Verb

Whitesell, who has shepherded the careers of movie stars such as Ben Affleck and Matt Damon, is betting that Cooper and her husband Matt Kaplan can build Unwell into a billion-dollar media business. — Lucas Shaw, Fortune, 12 Aug. 2026

Having entered the business in the 1970s and shepherded clients through the post-2000 tech-wreck and then the global financial crisis, he has lately been fixated on the prospect that the secular bull market that began in 2009 is in its waning phase. — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 10 Aug. 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