Synonyms of horde

horde

noun

ˈhȯrd 

as in swarm

a great number of persons or creatures massed together

a horde of mosquitoes

hordes of tourists from the cruise ship crowded the shops and cafes

Synonyms & Similar Words

• swarm
• throng
• crowd
• flock
• mob
• legion
• multitude
• army
• herd
• mass
• masses
• host
• rout
• crush
• press
• bike
• drove
• millions
• scrum
• cram
• rabble
• gaggle
• pile
• mountain
• heap
• riffraff
• rabblement
• jam
• logjam

Synonym Chooser

How does the noun horde differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of horde are crowd, crush, mob, and throng. While all these words mean "an assembled multitude," throng and horde suggest movement and pushing.

a throng of reporters

a horde of shoppers

When is it sensible to use crowd instead of horde?

The synonyms crowd and horde are sometimes interchangeable, but crowd implies a close gathering and pressing together.

a crowd gathered

When might crush be a better fit than horde?

The words crush and horde can be used in similar contexts, but crush emphasizes the compactness of the group, the difficulty of individual movement, and the attendant discomfort.

a crush of fans

When can mob be used instead of horde?

The meanings of mob and horde largely overlap; however, mob implies a disorderly crowd with the potential for violence.

an angry mob

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of horde

Cutting off a guy’s finger and stitching a tiny bomb into someone’s chest is essentially the same as remembering how to put together a gun or outrunning a horde of bad guys. —Ben Travers, IndieWire, 30 Apr. 2026

When the mountain park opens for the season, their businesses attract hordes of mountain bikers. —John Meyer, Denver Post, 30 Apr. 2026

Minutes later, Vegas fourth-line center Dowd fired a low shot through a horde of bodies in front, and Vejmelka somehow tracked the puck through the traffic to get his left pad on it. —Jesse Granger, New York Times, 25 Apr. 2026

Pablo Escobar's reign of terror didn't end with his death and continues today in the form of a horde of hippos plaguing the Colombian countryside. —Carlie Procell, USA Today, 25 Apr. 2026