herald 1 of 2

herald

2 of 2

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
In the original comics, the Silver Surfer was Norrin Radd, a male astronomer from the planet Zenn-La who became the herald of Galactus. Thomas G. Moukawsher, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Apr. 2025 Red Eye’s autonomy—its ability to decide, react, and dominate without a human in the loop—heralds a shift in warfare’s DNA. Amir Husain, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
Verb
In the 19th century, Joseph Schumpeter heralded capitalism as creative destruction. Errol Schweizer, Forbes.com, 16 June 2025 The novelty has since faded, but those initial hours of bovine mayhem provided the sort of silly, social, organic fun that Nintendo needed to herald the Switch 2’s arrival. Emily Palmer Heller, Vulture, 11 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for herald
Recent Examples of Synonyms for herald
Noun
  • Higgins, a candidate for mayor in the city of Miami, chairs the County Commission’s Transportation committee and has been the board’s main advocate of the Northeast project.
    Douglas Hanks, Miami Herald, 1 July 2025
  • No serious advocate for diversity programs argues against hiring the best candidate for the job.
    Jim Edwards, Fortune, 1 July 2025
Noun
  • In 2012, the Wythe was a harbinger of things to come in Williamsburg.
    Katherine LaGrave, AFAR Media, 26 June 2025
  • Thus, the early activity in the Pacific isn't likely a harbinger of storms to come in the Atlantic.
    Doyle Rice, USA Today, 22 June 2025
Verb
  • Knowing And Just Like That, the show may be foreshadowing a grand gesture from Aidan that arrives just as Carrie is beginning to have feelings for Duncan.
    Megan McCluskey, Time, 27 June 2025
  • In March, the the Monitor’s View foreshadowed the impact of the foreign aid cuts: These cuts by wealthier countries, predict many aid experts, are having dramatic consequences for the world’s most vulnerable people.
    Evelyne Musambi, Christian Science Monitor, 20 June 2025
Verb
  • The latter senator announced his retirement on Sunday amid opposition to the Senate bill’s Medicaid cuts.
    Burgess Everett, semafor.com, 29 June 2025
  • As of June 2025, sources told Variety that Netflix currently has no plans to announce a Squid Game spinoff.
    Monica Mercuri, Forbes.com, 29 June 2025
Noun
  • The legendary rapper was quickly cremated, which his mother was a proponent of, but Knight stated that Pac had different plans for his funeral.
    Michael Saponara, Billboard, 1 July 2025
  • Much like Gen Z, who are proponents of manifesting success, King agrees that there’s power in thinking positively.
    Sheryl Estrada, Fortune, 30 June 2025
Noun
  • This is, in part, explained by the institutional memory of the competition’s forerunner — the Intercontinental Cup — and the legendary battles of a bygone era.
    James Horncastle, New York Times, 19 June 2025
  • Another forerunner of today’s scene is Ansedonia, a hillside community of upscale homes near Capalbio that in the 1960s became popular with creative types from the Italian capital.
    Lee Marshall, Travel + Leisure, 15 Apr. 2025
Verb
  • Research and advisory firm Gartner predicted in February that by 2027, the average prices of application programming interfaces for genAI will fall to less than 1% of the current average price for the same technology.
    Bernice Ooi, CNBC, 26 June 2025
  • The Congressional Budget Office predicts that should the bill pass, the poorest families would see a decrease in resources by about $1,600 a year, while the richest would gain about $12,000.
    Anna Chan, Billboard, 25 June 2025
Verb
  • Earlier this month, Massey posted a social media video proclaiming his innocence.
    Chris Kenning, USA Today, 27 June 2025
  • In it, Weger proclaimed his innocence. DNA testing on items, including Weger’s coat and hair found in the victims’ fists, showed the evidence had been contaminated.
    Kori Rumore, Chicago Tribune, 26 June 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Podcast

Cite this Entry

“Herald.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/herald. Accessed 7 Jul. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on herald

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!