herald

American  

[her-uhld] / ˈhɛr əld /

noun

1. (formerly) a royal or official messenger, especially one representing a monarch in an ambassadorial capacity during wartime.

2. a person or thing that precedes or comes before; forerunner; harbinger.

   the returning swallows, those heralds of spring.

3. a person or thing that proclaims or announces.

   A good newspaper should be a herald of truth.

4. (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.

5. 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.

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verb (used with object)

heralds, present (3rd person singular) heralded, past participle, past heralding present participle

1. to give news or tidings of; announce; proclaim.

   a publicity campaign to herald a new film.

2. to indicate or signal the coming of; usher in.

   Synonyms:

   tout, ballyhoo, publicize

herald British  

/ ˈhɛrəld /

noun

1. 1. a person who announces important news

   2. ( as modifier )

      herald angels

2. literary a forerunner; harbinger

3. the intermediate rank of heraldic officer, between king-of-arms and pursuivant

4. (in the Middle Ages) an official at a tournament

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verb

1. to announce publicly

2. to precede or usher in

Other Word Forms

Conjugated Forms

Present

• have heralded
  perfect
• has heralded
  perfect 3rd person singular
• am heralding
  progressive 1st person singular
• is heralding
  progressive 3rd person singular
• are heralding
  progressive
• has been heralding
  perfect progressive 3rd person singular
• have been heralding
  perfect progressive
• heralding
  participle
• heralds
  singular 3rd person

Past

• had heralded
  perfect
• were heralding
  progressive plural
• had been heralding
  perfect progressive
• was heralding
  progressive singular
• heralded
  participle
• heralded
  simple

Future

• will herald
  simple
• will have heralded
  perfect
• will be heralding
  progressive
• will have been heralding
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

When Bean finally told his family he was gay, in 1996 — three years before clueing in an unsuspecting public via a Miami Herald article — none of his loved ones blinked.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 7, 2026

McClure, from the ACT party, said the travel ban was "a type of foreign interference" and that she was "not going to apologise for visiting Taiwan", the New Zealand Herald reported.

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026

Soraya did not share details about her father’s death, but the New Zealand Herald reported that the longtime resident died of a “sudden medical event.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 1, 2026

It also owns 243 of its 665 stores, including its huge flagship store in Herald Square in Manhattan.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

The New York Herald Tribune found one reporter’s valiant attempt to get more than a monosyllabic answer out of him so amusing that it published a transcript of the entire nonconversation.

From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand