Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

herd

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of herd

1 a group of domestic animals assembled or herded together

  • the great herds of cattle that cowboys once drove across the plains
Synonyms of herd

drove, flock
Words Related to herd

colony, covey, gaggle, pack, plump [chiefly dialect], pod, school, swarm

2 the body of the community as contrasted with the elite

  • aspire to achieve something, to distinguish yourself from the herd
Synonyms of herd

commoners, commons, crowd, hoi polloi, mass, millions, mob, multitude, people, plebeians, plebs, populace, public, rank and file
Words Related to herd

cattle, proletariat, rabble, rabblement, ragtag and bobtail, riffraff, rout, scum, tag, rag, and bobtail (or tagrag and bobtail), trash, unwashed

bourgeoisie, middle class
Near Antonyms of herd

gentility, gentlefolk (also gentlefolks), gentry, haute monde, nobility, patriciate, peerage, quality, royalty, society
Antonyms of herd

A-list, aristocracy, best, choice, corps d'elite, cream, elect, elite, fat, flower, pick, pink, pride, upper crust

3 a great number of persons or things massed together

  • gearing up for the herd of holiday shoppers at the mall on the day after Thanksgiving
Synonyms of herd

army, bike [chiefly Scottish], cram, crowd, crush, drove, flock, horde, host, legion, mass, mob, multitude, press, rout, scrum, swarm, throng
Words Related to herd

masses, millions, rabble, rabblement, riffraff

gaggle

heap, mountain, pile

jam, logjam

herd

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of herd

to urge, push, or force onward

  • the guards briskly herded us through the museum in order to prevent overcrowding
Synonyms of herd

drive, punch, run
Words Related to herd

shepherd

wrangle

egg, exhort, flog, goad, hound, press, prick, prod, prompt, scourge, spur, whip

Learn More about herd

  1. See words that rhyme with herd Dictionary: Definition of herd Spanish Central: Translation of herd Nglish: Translation of herd for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of herd for Arabic speakers Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about herd

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up herd? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show comments hide comments

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

WORD OF THE DAY

repartee

amusing and light sparring with words

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. endgame Marvel's Avengers: Endgame

  2. complicit Sen. Graham accuses Saudi prince

  3. tariff The President is a Tariff Man.

SEE ALL

Love words? Need even more definitions?

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

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games