herald
Americannoun
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heralds
plural
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(formerly) a royal or official messenger, especially one representing a monarch in an ambassadorial capacity during wartime.
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a person or thing that precedes or comes before; forerunner; harbinger.
the returning swallows, those heralds of spring.
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a person or thing that proclaims or announces.
A good newspaper should be a herald of truth.
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(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.
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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
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a person who announces important news
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( as modifier )
herald angels
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literary a forerunner; harbinger
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the intermediate rank of heraldic officer, between king-of-arms and pursuivant
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(in the Middle Ages) an official at a tournament
verb
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to announce publicly
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to precede or usher in
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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heraldsimple
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heraldssimple
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have heraldedperfect
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has heraldedperfect
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am heraldingprogressive
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are heraldingprogressive
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is heraldingprogressive
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have been heraldingperfect progressive
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has been heraldingperfect progressive
Past
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heraldedsimple
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had heraldedperfect
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was heraldingprogressive
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were heraldingprogressive
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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
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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:
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
Didn’t Mr. Vance herald peace in our time after negotiating the memorandum of understanding with Iran last month?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 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
"The Lady Sansa, of House Stark," the herald cried.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
It also heralds the news of England cricket captain Ben Stokes ending his international career as a "great innings".
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
The drones have upended the cycle of war: The rainy season — which runs from June till September — normally heralds a lull in the fighting.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 24, 2026
It was the biggest increase in four years, and heralds more inflation in the pipeline of the economy.
From MarketWatch ● May 13, 2026
The reorganization heralds a new era for Apple’s AI work, which has failed to keep up with rivals.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 2, 2025
“Ach, by the Immortal! This is why I dislike children. They’re heralds of vomit and ask stupid questions!”
From "Impossible Creatures" by Katherine Rundell
Supervisors have heralded Measure G as a transformative move that will modernize county government and reduce the concentration of power among the board’s members.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 28, 2026
A point of pride for the university, the course was designed nearly 100 years ago by one of golf’s most heralded architects, Alister MacKenzie.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
In an opinion piece published on Philippine media the same day, Rubio heralded Washington's commitment "to freedom of navigation in Southeast Asia" while reaffirming the US defensive umbrella in the region.
From Barron's ● Jul. 22, 2026
The New York Times heralded Mullin’s “warmer and fuzzier tone” during his confirmation hearing as a “sign that the administration wants to project a more moderated approach.”
From Salon ● Jul. 13, 2026
The child’s name was minimalism, and its arrival heralded a sea change in the relationship between musical genres.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
At least three firm were showcasing so-called agentic phones at the World Artificial Intelligence Conference in Shanghai this weekend -- heralding what may be to come.
From Barron's ● Jul. 19, 2026
US President Donald Trump said in a social media post heralding the agreement, which he said would include the reopening of the strait to commercial shipping.
From BBC ● Jun. 15, 2026
I wrote a column shortly after, heralding Lopez’s overwhelming victory as a new era for Latino politics in Orange County, where Latinos make up a third of the population but still wield little power.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2026
The documents show that America250 also spent about $4 million to have a second ball appear shortly after the official ball drop in New York’s Times Square last New Year’s Eve, heralding America’s 250th year.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 21, 2026
Mormont’s raven muttered his annoyance as the door opened beneath him, heralding the return of Dolorous Edd with a flagon of wine and a plate of eggs and sausages.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
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.
