shepherd

1 of 2

noun

shep·​herd ˈshe-pərd 

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

Verb

• guide
• coach
• mentor

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

Noun

Another showed Lee on the floor of a gym in chocolate-chip camouflage pants, doing a situp while a German shepherd holds down his feet. — Eamon Javers, CNBC, 30 Sep. 2026

Check out these photos to see how these shepherds are balancing work and education. — Brittney Melton, NPR, 30 Sep. 2026

Verb

The staff here help with every aspect of the guest experience, from greeting you on the arrivals dock and shepherding every aspect of your stay to serving meals. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026

The new ParaBros is inheriting several lucrative IP assets from the Burbank lot shepherded by De Luca and Abdy — Ocean’s Eleven, Gremlins, Gladys, Minecraft 2 and more going forward, 38 features overall, dated into 2029. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 4 Oct. 2026

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

Phrases Containing shepherd

• Anatolian shepherd
• Australian shepherd
• English shepherd
• German shepherd
• shepherd dog
• shepherd's check
• shepherd's pie
• shepherd's purse

Rhymes for shepherd

• leopard
• peppered

Kids Definition

shepherd

1 of 2 noun

shep·​herd ˈshep-ərd 

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