1
a
: a typically large group of animals of one kind kept together under human control
a herd of cattle
b
: a congregation of gregarious wild animals
herds of antelopes
2
a(1)
: a group of people usually having a common bond
a herd of tourists
(2)
: a large assemblage of like things
herds of cars
b
: the undistinguished masses : crowd
isolate the individual prophets from the herd—
Norman Cousins
Norman Cousins
herded; herding; herds
1
a
: to gather, lead, or drive as if in a herd (see herd entry 1 sense 1a)
herded the children into the car
b
: to keep or move (animals) together
dogs that are trained to herd sheep
2
: to place in a group
herd us with their kindred fools—Jonathan Swift
Jonathan Swift1
: to assemble or move in a herd (see herd entry 1)
herding onto the subway
2
: to place oneself in a group : associate
it is desirable that young noblemen should herd—Sir Walter Scott
Sir Walter ScottExamples of herd in a Sentence
Noun
The herd grazed peacefully in the pasture.
A herd of shoppers waited anxiously for the store to open.
Verb
The horses were herded into the corral.
We left the hotel and were herded onto a bus.
They herded the students into the auditorium.
The commuters herded onto the train.
Recent Examples on the Web
Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2025
Llama 4 herd gets off on the wrong hoof
News of Llama 4‘s release unexpectedly came out of Meta on Saturday, 5 April.
—IEEE Spectrum, 21 Apr. 2025
Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025
On a Sunday afternoon in March 1976, SeaWorld contractors herded a family of orcas into Budd Inlet at the southern tip of Puget Sound.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for herd
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.
Noun
Researchers have found elevated levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, in herds exposed to wolves.
—Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 21 Apr. 2025
Llama 4 herd gets off on the wrong hoof
News of Llama 4‘s release unexpectedly came out of Meta on Saturday, 5 April.
—IEEE Spectrum, 21 Apr. 2025
Verb
Originally bred as herding dogs, German shepherds earned the reputation of being affectionate, courageous and incredibly loyal.
—Mohammed Soliman, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Apr. 2025
On a Sunday afternoon in March 1976, SeaWorld contractors herded a family of orcas into Budd Inlet at the southern tip of Puget Sound.
—Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 3 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for herd
Cite this Entry
“Herd.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/herd. Accessed 13 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
herd
1 of 2 noun1
: a number of animals of one kind kept or living together
2
: the common people
herd
2 of 2 verb1
: to assemble or come together into a herd or group
2
: to gather, lead, or drive a herd
herd cattle
herder
noun
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share