SHEPHERD Synonyms: 116 Similar and Opposite Words

shepherd 1 of 2

verb

Definition of shepherd

as in to guide

to give advice and instruction to (someone) regarding the course or process to be followed shepherding her through the procedure of taking out a loan

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

shepherd

2 of 2

noun

as in pastor

Related Words

Dissimilar Words

as in shepherdess

Related 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 shepherd

Verb

Jon & Kate Plus 8 offered a glimpse into the Gosselins’ unique home life, in which heartwarming scenes of Jon and Kate making breakfast for their eight children at once and shepherding them into a minivan occurred daily. — Isabella Albaig, Vulture, 21 Oct. 2026 The Great Redwood Trail Agency was created three years later to shepherd the transition of the 231-mile northern stretch in Mendocino, Trinity and Humboldt counties. — Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026

Noun

Adam, a shepherd’s son, and Eve, daughter of an Earl, are born in England on World War I Armistice Day. — Monitor Reviewers, Christian Science Monitor, 19 Oct. 2026 The 23 bedrooms are in the kooky main building and two shepherd’s huts (some have claw-foot baths). — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shepherd

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shepherd

Verb

The concierge can arrange birdwatching or fishing tours, while Chef Williams Saurina will guide you through the finer points of making fresh salsas in volcanic molcajetes, to be sampled with warm totopos.

— Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 29 Oct. 2026
Pediatricians can help families navigate these decisions and guide them on how to continue living healthy lives with minimal interruptions during a measles outbreak.

— Katie Lockwood, STAT, 28 Oct. 2026

Definition of guide

Noun

The thoughtful decor features pendant lamps inspired by traditional Rwandan headdresses, crafted by local fashion designer Joselyne Umutoniwase, and tasseled armchairs that riff on the traditional Rwandan shepherdess skirts.

— Chris Wallace, Travel + Leisure, 14 Nov. 2025
Others, such as the fictional shepherdess Marcela in Don Quixote, decided to lead a life of solitude and freedom away from both men and the confines of the convent.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 19 May 2025

Definition of shepherdess

Verb

Aranda was in the midst of his seventh season in charge of the Bears after taking over the head coaching gig in Waco, Texas, ahead of the 2020 season.

— Mark Harris OutKick, FOXNews.com, 25 Oct. 2026
The Musketeers, founded in 2022, were coached by former NFL linebacker coach Jack Del Rio for the past two seasons, but his contract has expired.

— ABC News, ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026

Definition of coach

Noun

The couple were married by a female vicar, per the Daily Mail.

— Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 13 July 2026
Nearly every murder is solved by the end of the episode, but despite the unusual twist of having the village vicar team up with the police, the real action comes from the relationships among the characters.

— Pat Saperstein, Variety, 14 June 2026

Definition of vicar

Noun

Felipe Baca, an ambitious sheepherder from New Mexico, arrived in the area in 1862.

— Michelle Griego, CBS News, 6 Oct. 2026
His father was a sheepherder on Iceland’s northern coast who moved to Denmark, studied with Niels Bohr, immigrated to the United States, and worked on the Apollo missions.

— Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic, 29 June 2026

Definition of sheepherder

Verb

Through that partnership, UWG will work with the department and the center to develop an apprenticeship model that provides credit for prior learning and expands mentoring and support for new teachers.

— Eric Stirgus, AJC.com, 26 Oct. 2026
Pompey says that one in six partners at Goldman Sachs mentored a team, and some senior workers who have participated in the past coached the newest batch of associates.

— Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of mentor

Noun

This one stars Cox himself as a mysterious and formidable old man in an undertaker’s suit and parson’s hat who wanders into an Arizona border town in 1890 to gather the names of dead Mexican laborers.

— Owen Gleiberman, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026
And what does the old man who sleeps by the fire know about the dead parson?

— Mary Ann Grossmann, Twin Cities, 25 Jan. 2026

Definition of parson

Browse Nearby Words

Sheol

shepherd

shepherded

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Shepherd.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/shepherd. Accessed 31 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of shepherd

verb

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on shepherd

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

wraith

Popular in Grammar & Usage

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

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

Popular in Wordplay

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Pwn, Skibidi, Girlboss and Other Words Added to the 2026 Scrabble Dictionary

The Words of the Week - Oct. 30

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Games & Quizzes