herald
Americannoun
-
heralds
plural
-
(formerly) a royal or official messenger, especially one representing a monarch in an ambassadorial capacity during wartime.
-
a person or thing that precedes or comes before; forerunner; harbinger.
the returning swallows, those heralds of spring.
-
a person or thing that proclaims or announces.
A good newspaper should be a herald of truth.
-
(in the Middle Ages) an officer who arranged tournaments and other functions, announced challenges, marshaled combatants, etc., and who was later employed also to arrange processions, funerals, etc., and to regulate the use of armorial bearings.
-
an official intermediate in rank between a king-of-arms and a pursuivant, in the Heralds' College in England or the Heralds' Office in Scotland.
noun
-
-
a person who announces important news
-
( as modifier )
herald angels
-
-
literary a forerunner; harbinger
-
the intermediate rank of heraldic officer, between king-of-arms and pursuivant
-
(in the Middle Ages) an official at a tournament
verb
-
to announce publicly
-
to precede or usher in
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
heraldsimple
-
heraldssimple
-
have heraldedperfect
-
has heraldedperfect
-
am heraldingprogressive
-
are heraldingprogressive
-
is heraldingprogressive
-
have been heraldingperfect progressive
-
has been heraldingperfect progressive
Past
-
heraldedsimple
-
had heraldedperfect
-
was heraldingprogressive
-
were heraldingprogressive
-
had been heraldingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of herald
1300–50; Middle English herau ( l ) d < Old French herau ( l ) t < Frankish *heriwald, equivalent to *heri army + *wald commander ( see wield). Compare name Harold
Explanation
A herald is a sign of things to come. A chilly day in October is a herald of the coming winter. Years ago, a herald was an official who announced important news to the people. This is why many newspapers today have herald in their name. Nowadays, the noun herald refers to an early indicator that something is about to happen. Herald can also be used as a verb meaning "to praise" or "to greet enthusiastically." If you've been away from home for a long time, your family might herald your return, especially if you come bearing gifts.
Vocabulary lists containing herald
Beowulf
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
25 Words from "Baseball and Black History"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
100 SAT Words Beginning with "H"
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Rising wholesale prices tend to herald higher prices for consumers.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026
Does a performance like this, during the most-watched sporting event in the world, herald something similar coming soon to a stadium near you?
From BBC ● Jul. 19, 2026
Two days after the Summer of Ludd ended, private jets and helicopters descended on Jackson Hole, Wyoming, to herald the start of the Allen & Co.
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026
By scrapping discs, PlayStation is positioning itself as the first console-maker to herald an end to physical media.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
“Are you serious? Jenny Lindt is a pundit. A beacon. A herald of the coming age of Women in Tech.”
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
Meanwhile, the development of autonomous systems guided by artificial intelligence heralds an even more momentous turn.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 2026
She later meets another student, Mika, in the library, as a Filipino love song heralds the start of their passionate saga.
From Barron's ● Jun. 30, 2026
Shakespeare wrote that nothing in the world is good or bad but thinking makes it so, and in that spirit Lane, like Anadol and Erkılıç, remains resolutely optimistic about what the Dataland model heralds.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2026
It was the biggest increase in four years, and heralds more inflation in the pipeline of the economy.
From MarketWatch ● May 13, 2026
Already they heard below them in the town the heralds crying and the war-horns blowing.
From "The Two Towers" by J. R. R. Tolkien
The gift of Ping Ping and Fu Shuang to Atlanta was first heralded in April, but Xi has now announced they will arrive in just a few days as China's panda diplomacy resumes.
From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026
Napa’s heralded Signorello Estate winery is drowning in debt, according to its bankruptcy filing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 23, 2026
"AI is heralded as an unprecedented era of technological development with the potential to transform our lives for better or for worse," said Sobel.
From BBC ● Sep. 14, 2026
Moreover, Europe would be hard-pressed to substitute for the southbound trade once heralded by Nafta, with an economy growing at half the pace of America’s.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 13, 2026
A puff of white heralded each of Hodor’s hodors.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
It’s just one of many shows taking place from Pomona to Palm Desert, heralding a Latino-led youth revival where the freewheeling movement of mosh pits meets the raw power of punk rock: Inland Empire hardcore.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
In his social media post heralding the agreement, the American president said that the Strait of Hormuz would be open to commercial shipping and the US would lift its naval blockade.
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026
The cost of imported goods rose sharply in March for the third month in a row, heralding further increases in U.S. inflation at least for the next few months, mostly due to higher oil prices.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 15, 2026
Brent crude oil briefly fell below $100 a barrel, heralding a surge in equity markets and a rally in U.S.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 1, 2026
In the distance, thunder sounds, heralding more rain.
From "Ophelia" by Lisa Klein
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
