shepherd

1 of 2

noun

shep·​herd ˈshe-pərd How to pronounce shepherd (audio)
Synonyms of shepherdnext
1
: a person who tends sheep
2
: pastor
3
: german shepherd

shepherd

2 of 2

verb

shepherded; shepherding; shepherds

transitive verb

1
: to tend as a shepherd
2
: to guide or guard in the manner of a shepherd
shepherded the bill through Congress

Synonyms of shepherd

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Verb

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Examples of shepherd in a Sentence

Verb She carefully shepherded the children across the street. They shepherded the bill through Congress.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
The delightful and deceptively deep family mystery comedy stars Hugh Jackman as an English shepherd who is found dead. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 10 July 2026 After the snake man left in the morning, the shepherd scuttled down to the newspaper offices. — Literary Hub, 10 July 2026
Verb
The diverse and tuition-free, year-long directing workshop enters its 52nd year and will again shepherd underrepresented and emerging filmmakers through the production cycle of a short film. — Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 13 July 2026 The two-time Emmy winner penned 10 episodes of Vince Gilligan’s landmark crime series before staying with Sony/AMC to shepherd four seasons of the genre-bending Preacher. — Brian Davids, HollywoodReporter, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for shepherd

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English sheepherde, from Old English scēaphyrde, from scēap sheep + hierde herdsman; akin to Old English heord herd

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

circa 1822, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of shepherd was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing shepherd

Rhymes for shepherd

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Browse Nearby Words

Shepard
shepherd
shepherd's bag
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Shepherd.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/shepherd. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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Kids Definition

shepherd

1 of 2 noun
shep·​herd ˈshep-ərd How to pronounce shepherd (audio)
1
: a person who takes care of sheep
2
: german shepherd

shepherd

2 of 2 verb
: to care for as or as if a shepherd

More from Merriam-Webster on shepherd

Nglish: Translation of shepherd for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shepherd

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