Jump To:

• shepherd
  shepherd

  noun

  a person who herds, tends, and guards sheep.
• Shepherd
  Shepherd

  noun

  a male given name.

shepherd

¹ American  

[shep-erd] / ˈʃɛp ərd /

noun

shepherds plural

1. a person who herds, tends, and guards sheep.

2. a person who protects, guides, or watches over a person or group of people.

   Synonyms:

   keeper, defender, guardian, protector

3. a member of the clergy.

4. the Shepherd, Jesus Christ.

5. sheepdog.

---

verb (used with object)

shepherds, present (3rd person singular) shepherded, past participle, past shepherding present participle

1. to tend or guard as a shepherd.

   to shepherd the flock.

2. to watch over carefully.

Shepherd ² American  

[shep-erd] / ˈʃɛp ərd /

noun

1. a male given name.

---

shepherd ¹ British  

/ ˈʃɛpəd /

noun

1. Female equivalent: shepherdess.  a person employed to tend sheep

2. a person, such as a clergyman, who watches over or guides a group of people

---

verb

1. to guide or watch over in the manner of a shepherd

2. Australian rules football to prevent opponents from tackling (a member of one's own team) by blocking their path

Shepherd ² British  

noun

1. astronomy a small moon of (e.g.) Saturn orbiting close to the rings and partly responsible for ring stability

---

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• undershepherd
  noun
• shepherdless
  adjective
• shepherdlike
  adjective
• unshepherded
  adjective
• unshepherding
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• shepherds
  plural

Participles

• shepherding
  present
• shepherded
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• shepherd
  simple
• shepherds
  simple
• have shepherded
  perfect
• has shepherded
  perfect
• am shepherding
  progressive
• are shepherding
  progressive
• is shepherding
  progressive
• have been shepherding
  perfect progressive
• has been shepherding
  perfect progressive

Past

• shepherded
  simple
• had shepherded
  perfect
• was shepherding
  progressive
• were shepherding
  progressive
• had been shepherding
  perfect progressive

Future

• will shepherd
  simple
• will have shepherded
  perfect
• will be shepherding
  progressive
• will have been shepherding
  perfect progressive

Etymology

Origin of shepherd

before 1050; Middle English shepherde, Old English scēphyrde. See sheep, herd ²

Explanation

A shepherd is a person who herds flocks or groups of animals. If you traveled to Tibet, you might see a yak shepherd. Shepherd comes from the Old English sceaphierde: sheepherder. Such a person protects sheep from animals that would attack them, keeps them from wandering, and otherwise takes care of the flock. The word is also a verb that describes care of a group — sheep, other animals, even people. You might shepherd your herd of goats, or shepherd your younger siblings through the transition from elementary to middle school.

Example Sentences

Unlike Kelly Clarkson and Sherri Shepherd, Hudson will be back for another season as the talk show landscape evolves with podcasts becoming the go-to medium for celebrities.

From Los Angeles Times • May 28, 2026

You wouldn't be wrong to think of Two Weeks in August as something of a British White Lotus, a comparison its writer Catherine Shepherd has addressed.

From BBC • May 16, 2026

Experts from the marine conservation group Sea Shepherd also warned that the whale is suffering from a skin disease.

From Barron's • Mar. 27, 2026

To daytime talk show host Sherri Shepherd, the beloved “Showtime at the Apollo” personality “was the life of every party” who had a welcoming and warm presence.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026

And that is when Clarence flew into the Good Shepherd, his dark feathers shining like a light.

From "Louisiana's Way Home" by Kate DiCamillo

Related Words

• herder
• herdsman