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 family has two other dogs — German shepherds named Wuta and Necati — as well as a rescue cat named Bean. —Idaho Statesman, 4 Nov. 2025

Scar, a blue merle Australian shepherd, was trained by his owner to be a medical alert and light mobility service dog. —Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2025

Verb

To get around California’s constitutional requirement that legislative and congressional lines get drawn by an independent commission every 10 years, the governor shepherded the ballot proposition through the legislature and in front of voters for a stamp of approval. —Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2025

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

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