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

Kansas and Missouri have the third- and sixth-largest cattle herds among states, respectively, with a combined population of nearly 10 million cows. — Jack Harvel, Kansas City Star, 25 Aug. 2026

Ranchers have reduced herds, while strong demand for beef has kept pressure on the dwindling supply. — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 21 Aug. 2026

Ranchers reduced their herds during the pandemic as livestock prices plummeted, maintenance costs soared and drought dried up grasslands. — Sara Dorn, Forbes.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Horse herds can also double in size every few years without human intervention. — Stina Sieg, NPR, 21 Aug. 2026

In place of herds of bison thundering across the prairie, there were piles of bones a story high and as much as a hundred feet long. — Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026

Finding one of the latter type of trail, however, is a big order because elk normally travel in small herds over a vast area. — Alex Robinson, Outdoor Life, 12 Aug. 2026

Grazing companies say annual wage costs could jump to about $240,000 per herder, forcing some to liquidate herds or shut down. — Ruyuan Li. Story Produced With Ai Assistance, Sacbee.com, 3 Aug. 2026

Pictures of the Channel Islands in the 1980s, after an analogous period of protection from human and otter predation, show huge herds of black abalone, shell to shell, covering patches of the tidepool like floor tiling. — Literary Hub, 29 July 2026

Verb

Deep within the backwoods of rural Oklahoma, charismatic and musically gifted Amziah King herds a bluegrass-playing band of misfits while overseeing the premier honey-making operation in town. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 14 Aug. 2026

Max tells him to put it down, releasing Zack in exchange, then picks up the gun himself, herds all four Bowdens into the kitchen, and makes Natalie bind her parents' wrists with plastic restraints. — Jp Mangalindan, Time, 31 July 2026

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