herald 1 of 2

herald

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verb

Synonym Chooser

How is the word herald distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of herald are forerunner, harbinger, and precursor. While all these words mean "one that goes before or announces the coming of another," harbinger and herald both apply, chiefly figuratively, to one that proclaims or announces the coming or arrival of a notable event.

their early victory was the harbinger of a winning season
the herald of a new age in medicine

In what contexts can forerunner take the place of herald?

Although the words forerunner and herald have much in common, forerunner is applicable to anything that serves as a sign or presage.

the blockade was the forerunner of war

When is it sensible to use precursor instead of herald?

While in some cases nearly identical to herald, precursor applies to a person or thing paving the way for the success or accomplishment of another.

18th century poets like Burns were precursors of the Romantics

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of herald
Noun
Meanwhile, Fantastic Four finds Garner playing Shalla-Bal, aka Silver Surfer, the powerful herald of Galactus. Chris Gardner, HollywoodReporter, 11 Aug. 2025 When Galactus and his herald, Shalla-Bal, express their intent to to devour the earth, Sue and her team travel to space and attempt to change his mind. Katcy Stephan, Variety, 27 July 2025
Verb
If there was the intention to strengthen in central defence with Jaka Bijol, should that have heralded the right moment to generate more room in the transfer budget with Struijk’s sale? Beren Cross, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2025 The event, heralded as one of the largest outdoor Asian food festivals in the United States, will bring the vibrant Asian street food scene to Music City. Diana Leyva, Nashville Tennessean, 5 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for herald
Recent Examples of Synonyms for herald
Noun
  • This consultative approach can turn potential customers into long-term advocates, proving your commitment to their success over your own sale.
    Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 11 Sep. 2025
  • An advocate for free speech and limited government, Kirk also used his sizable platform to spread falsehoods and conspiracy theories about topics including climate change, vaccines, transgender people and demographic change.
    Rachel Treisman, NPR, 11 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • While pumpkin spice menu options are the harbinger of fall and Labor Day officially marks its beginning, the start of football season is the true nail in the coffin for summer.
    Emily Tannenbaum, Glamour, 5 Sep. 2025
  • Whether one or both of McDaniels and Campbell pass that test will offer a good harbinger of what’s to come from their offense, which should be dogged by iffy pass protection all season long.
    Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 4 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Moreover, the film is also a vision of a time pregnant with radical change, with Michèle’s dramatic leap off course foreshadowing the imminent crisis of the Francosphere.
    Richard Brody, New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2025
  • That report speaks to inflation being a legitimate issue and could be foreshadowing a hotter CPI number.
    JJ Kinahan, Forbes.com, 10 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • Any Mega Millions winners will be posted here once announced by lottery officials.
    Fernando Cervantes Jr, USA Today, 13 Sep. 2025
  • Upwards of ten thousand fans made the trip each year, but despite the match-up’s popularity and history, the Georgia Tech administration unexpectedly announced its intention to end the series when the contract ran out in the late 1970s.
    Elizabeth Hutchison Hicklin, Southern Living, 12 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • By removing the quarterly standard in favor of a semiannual one, proponents believe investors will get a management team that is more long-term focused.
    Zev Fima, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Even so, proponents of speed reading programs point to data showing that students’ reading speed improves while maintaining comprehension.
    Big Think, Big Think, 16 Sep. 2025
Noun
  • Schuyler, who a decade ago sold her company, Epitome Pictures, to DHX Media, a forerunner of Wild Brain Entertainment, was not available for comment on Wednesday.
    Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 10 Sep. 2025
  • The reactor is the forerunner to the Aalo Pod, a 50-megawatt modular power plant designed specifically for data centers.
    Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 29 Aug. 2025
Verb
  • Before all that happened, though, there was the eight-course dinner, which went totally fine as predicted.
    Rafaela Bassili, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2025
  • Explore Fall, a website that provides resources and tools to track the changing colors of leaves, is predicting an earlier and quicker fall foliage peak for the millions of people looking to see this year's natural spectacle.
    Kyle Reiman, ABC News, 16 Sep. 2025
Verb
  • These anchovies, Chris proclaimed, would be delicious simply turned out on a piece of toast.
    Bon Appétit, Bon Appetit Magazine, 10 Sep. 2025
  • For that matter, so is the beach around it, with signs proclaiming it private property.
    A.K. Whitney, Oc Register, 9 Sep. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Herald.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/herald. Accessed 17 Sep. 2025.

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