Synonyms of herds

herds 1 of 2

noun

plural of herd

1

as in flocks

a group of domestic animals assembled or herded together

the great herds of cattle that cowboys once drove across the plains

Synonyms & Similar Words

• flocks
• swarms
• droves
• schools
• colonies
• pods
• coveys
• gaggles
• packs
• plumps

2

as in masses

the body of the community as contrasted with the elite

aspire to achieve something, to distinguish yourself from the herd

Synonyms & Similar Words

• masses
• populaces
• crowds
• publics
• people
• millions
• mobs
• commoners
• commons
• multitudes
• cattle
• plebes
• plebeians
• rank and files
• rabbles
• hoi polloi
• proletariats
• scums
• routs
• riffraffs
• rabblements
• tag, rag, and bobtails
• unwasheds
• ragtag and bobtails
• middle classes
• bourgeoisies
• trash

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• elites
• flowers
• fat
• elect
• creams
• choices
• aristocracies
• pinks
• A-lists
• upper crusts
• societies
• picks
• prides
• best
• qualities
• nobilities
• royalties
• gentlefolks
• gentilities
• corps d'elite
• patriciates
• gentries
• peerages
• haute mondes

3

as in swarms

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

• flocks
• swarms
• throngs
• hordes
• crowds
• masses
• multitudes
• legions
• masses
• armies
• mobs
• bikes
• droves
• millions
• hosts
• routs
• crushes
• presses
• crams
• rabbles
• riffraffs
• piles
• rabblements
• scrums
• gaggles
• mountains
• heaps
• jams
• logjams

herds

2 of 2

verb

present tense third-person singular of herd

as in drives

to urge, push, or force onward

the guards briskly herded us through the museum in order to prevent overcrowding

Synonyms & Similar Words

• drives
• runs
• shepherds
• punches
• eggs
• whips
• spurs
• pricks
• hounds
• prods
• presses
• prompts
• exhorts
• wrangles
• goads
• scourges
• flogs

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of herds

Noun

So municipal governments and homeowners associations have started paying ranchers to let their herds feed on local fields. — Editorial Board, Washington Post, 18 July 2026

There’s also not enough young labor to take over those operations and their herds. — Claire Malon, Chicago Tribune, 10 July 2026

By analyzing tail hair samples, researchers found that herds living among wolves had cortisol levels 58% higher than those living in areas without wolves. — Clara Harter, Los Angeles Times, 9 July 2026

In that study, led by Saitone, the group studied hair samples from cattle exposed to wolves and compared them with herds that were isolated from the predators. — Sharon Bernstein, Sacbee.com, 8 July 2026

Several rancher and stock grower associations in Montana, which at one time were represented by Budd-Falen, have railed against a conservation group called American Prairie that uses permits to graze bison herds to revitalize local ecosystems. — Mark Olalde, ProPublica, 7 July 2026

Many travelers come here in July and August to witness these massive herds attempt to cross the Grumeti and Mara Rivers. — Elizabeth Cantrell, Travel + Leisure, 7 July 2026

Vast herds of zebra, wildebeest, and gazelle moved across the horizon. — Sherry McAllister, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

Large pathogen-free herds are sustained for selective breeding and organ production. — Torie Bosch, STAT, 20 June 2026

Verb

The father gently herds his family toward her glass booth. — Joseph Trinidad, Longreads, 16 June 2026

However, one quick look at what companies like Boston Dynamics has achieved with robots like the rather creepy dog-like ‘Spot,’ who herds sheep in New Zealand, and the possibilities seem endless. — Peter Lyon, Forbes.com, 27 Jan. 2026