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
Shelter records show the German shepherd was transferred to a shelter in Irvine. — Alene Tchekmedyian, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026 Real Simple tested the PrinceDeco Stretch Sofa Slipcover against an active household with two children and a 50-pound German shepherd/Shiba Inu mix, and reported the cover was still performing three months in. — Lauren Jarvis-Gibson, Miami Herald, 22 Oct. 2026
Verb
Additional Lionsgate series Hollin has shepherded include The Recruit and Dear White People for Netflix, Mythic Quest and Acapulco for Apple TV, Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist for NBC, and Home Economics for ABC. — Etan Vlessing, HollywoodReporter, 27 Oct. 2026 OpenAI’s approach to two of the three results also directly violates a clarifying statement AGMAI issued just a day before they were released by designating specific experts to shepherd the results into the public sphere. — Joseph Howlett, Scientific American, 27 Oct. 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 1 Nov. 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

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about shepherd

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