herd 1 of 2

noun

ˈhərd How to pronounce herd (audio)
Definition of herdnext
1
as in flock
a group of domestic animals assembled or herded together the great herds of cattle that cowboys once drove across the plains

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance
2
as in populace
the body of the community as contrasted with the elite aspire to achieve something, to distinguish yourself from the herd

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in throng
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 & Similar Words

herd

2 of 2

verb

as in to drive
to urge, push, or force onward the guards briskly herded us through the museum in order to prevent overcrowding

Synonyms & Similar Words

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 herd
Noun
Down the road, a creamery churns out mozzarella from the estate’s water-buffalo herd, while gallons of prizewinning cider are cold-fermented in the cellar. — Issy Von Simson, Air Mail, 27 June 2026 Meanwhile, Tyreese is outsmarted by the Terminus Tiger Fan, who grabs baby Judith and threatens to snap her neck unless Tyreese walks unarmed into a herd of walkers outside. — Ew Staff, Entertainment Weekly, 25 June 2026
Verb
In a sense that’s true, as rather than continually being reinvested in Destiny, the profits were used for bizarre projects like a sprawling HQ in the COVID era, or herded into too many other incubation projects. — Paul Tassi, Forbes.com, 29 June 2026 The wholesale slaughter on the plains outside Troy is constantly likened to harvest, planting, herding flocks. — Alexandra Petri, The Atlantic, 25 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for herd
Recent Examples of Synonyms for herd
  1. flock
  2. populace
  3. throng
  4. drive
  5. crowd
  6. swarm
  7. public
  8. horde
Noun
  • That year, as Fredriksen explains, a flock of them took up residence in Palm Beach County’s Stormwater Treatment Area 2 (STA-2), some 80 miles north of their traditional grounds in the Keys and the southern edges of the Everglades.
    — Matthew Wills, JSTOR Daily, 6 July 2026
  • In a 2024 paper, the researchers reported that doctors from the best medical schools flock to the highest-paying specialties.
    — Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 5 July 2026
Definition of flock
Noun
  • His profiteering has drawn criticism from even the traditionally conservative editorial boards at the Wall Street Journal and New York Post, as well as the broader American populace.
    — Joe Wilkins, Futurism, 2 July 2026
  • The ongoing diversification of the American populace ensures that Latin American rhythms, jazz subgenres and electronic innovations will continue to redefine what the nation will sound like moving forward.
    — Ted Olson, The Conversation, 2 July 2026
Definition of populace
Noun
  • Tour guides in tricorn hats and colonial garb brought throngs of tourists to sites along the Freedom Trail, including the Granary Burying Ground, the Old North Church, and Paul Revere’s home.
    — Karissa Waddick, USA Today, 4 July 2026
  • Tomorrow may be even more surreal, with another day of oppressive heat and throngs of tourists in town to see what the president has billed as the biggest fireworks display in human history.
    — Hana Kiros, The Atlantic, 3 July 2026
Definition of throng
Verb
  • Feedback will help guide future improvements for people who walk, bike, use transit and drive through the corridor.
    — Tyler Quattrin, Twin Cities, 8 July 2026
  • When her husband, financier John Molner, returned home from the gym, the two drove to the campus of the Aspen Institute, where Couric was excited to hit the hot dog stand for lunch.
    — Kathleen Perricone, Entertainment Weekly, 8 July 2026
Definition of drive
Noun
  • Best Time to Visit The best time to visit Florence for fewer crowds is November through March.
    — Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 8 July 2026
  • How have your crowd work clips on social media changed your career?
    — Deputy Entertainment, Los Angeles Times, 7 July 2026
Definition of crowd
Noun
  • Less than two months later a swarm of earthquakes ripped along the ridge.
    — Sam Macdonald, Scientific American, 8 July 2026
  • But while a swarm of partisan American pundits may convince fans otherwise, the decision certainly fell in a gray area.
    — Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
Definition of swarm
Noun
  • His charm offensive, including moving to Rio and recalling Neymar, has also begun to win over a skeptical public, setting the stage for a crucial World Cup challenge.
    — Chris Evans, Forbes.com, 5 July 2026
  • Harry and Meghan, who live in California, left Britain in 2020 after stepping back from royal life, and have since been involved in a long-running, public falling out with his family.
    — Max Foster, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
Definition of public
Noun
  • Waterbucks stood tall and stately along the trail and hordes of the little Angola impalas scurried across in front of us.
    — Jack O'Connor, Outdoor Life, 8 July 2026
  • Soon Massachusetts society was groaning under the burden of these hordes of foreign freeloaders.
    — Howie Carr, Boston Herald, 7 July 2026
Definition of horde

Phrases Containing herd

Browse Nearby Words

herculean
herd
herded
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Herd.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/herd. Accessed 11 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on herd

Nglish: Translation of herd for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about herd

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!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of xeric

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 10
See More

Popular

See More

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
banana-mirrored
Contradictory Words Quiz Pick out which word means one thing…and the opp...
See All