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

The sheep references our family’s English shepherding heritage. — Sean Timberlake, Sacbee.com, 9 Oct. 2026 The project came to Audible via its integration with Wondery; Hart shepherded the project. — Tony Maglio, HollywoodReporter, 8 Oct. 2026

Noun

Its nonhuman co-star, a soulful German shepherd playing a former combat dog named Odin, ambles out of the Alaskan wilderness and into view of a woman (Anna Lambe) driving by in a pickup. — Alison Willmore, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026 In that dialogue, Endymion, the mythical shepherd, is imprisoned in an eternal sleep by Artemis and accosts a stranger who is on his way to Mount Latmus, where Endymion repairs each night to wait for Artemis. — Max Norman, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for shepherd

Recent Examples of Synonyms for shepherd

Verb

Acting was his guiding passion, but his deep love for the avant-garde helped till the ground for the city’s theatrical renaissance that the 1984 Olympic Arts Festival catalyzed.

— Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 15 Oct. 2026
The findings provide a pre-mining benchmark of deep-sea microbial and viral ecosystems to guide future environmental impact assessments.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026

Definition of guide

Noun

Marshall is tied with Democratic pastor Adam Hamilton, while the other four trail to varying degrees.

— Ramsey Touchberry, The Washington Examiner, 15 Oct. 2026
Money, money, money Bob Beatty, the political science chair and professor at the University of Washburn, attributed the pastor's strong communication and fundraising skills to his experience leading the Church of the Resurrection in Leawood.

— ABC News, ABC News, 15 Oct. 2026

Definition of pastor

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

Gerard Gallant, who coached that team that made it to the Stanley Cup Final, was in attendance along with several players.

— ABC News, ABC News, 11 Oct. 2026
Gerard Gallant, who coached that team, was in attendance along with several players from that squad.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 11 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

She’s mentored by Jae (Major Curda), a member of Ellora’s municipal Bending Brigade, and his captain Karthik (Akshay Khanna), who has a more optimistic view of the Avatar’s potential than those that blame her for ending the world.

— Alison Herman, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
High schools can develop peer-mentoring programs and suicide prevention, mental health awareness and anti-stigma campaigns.

— Nikki R Wooten, The Conversation, 9 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 17 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

syncretic

Popular in Grammar & Usage

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

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

The Exceptions of '-s' and '-es' Plurals

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Popular in Wordplay

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

7 Words for Bad Endings and Rough Situations

The Words of the Week - Oct. 16

Popular

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

16 Food Words Recently Added to the Dictionary

The Real Origin of 'Supercalifragilistic'

Games & Quizzes