horde
Americannoun
-
a vast crowd; throng; mob
-
a local group of people in a nomadic society
-
a nomadic group of people, esp an Asiatic group
-
a large moving mass of animals, esp insects
verb
Usage
What’s the difference between horde and hoard? Horde is a noun referring to a large group or mob of people, especially one considered in a negative way, as in I’d rather avoid the hordes of tourists. Hoard is a verb meaning to accumulate things and closely guard them, often in a greedy or excessive way, as in Dragons are known for hoarding treasure. It can also be used as a noun to collectively refer to the things that have been accumulated, as in a hoard of treasure. The word horde is also used in a more specific way to refer to a group of nomads. It is especially associated with the Mongol army of the 1200s (sometimes known as the Golden Horde). Horde can also be a verb, meaning to gather or move in a horde, but this use is much less common.Both words often relate to large groups, but a hoard is an accumulation of items, while a horde is a group of people (or animals).To remember which spelling to use, remember that nomadic hordes sometimes travel on horses. The word hoard, on the other hand, hoards the letter A all for itself.Here’s an example of horde and hoard used correctly in a sentence.Example: A horde of invaders sacked the city and looted the royal treasure hoard. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between hoard and horde.
Etymology
Origin of horde
First recorded in 1545–55; earlier also hord, horda, ultimately from Czech, Polish horda, from Ukrainian dialect gordá, Ukrainian ordá, Old Russian (originally in the phrase Zolotaya orda “the Golden Horde”), via Mongolian or directly from Turkic ordu, orda “royal residence or camp” (later, “any military encampment, army”); Urdu
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.
Delroy Lindo recently earned his first Academy Award nomination for his role in “Sinners” as Delta Slim, a blues musician who helps fight a vampire horde in a Mississippi juke joint.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026
This isn’t the first time unusual weather has spawned a mosquito horde in the region during what should be the insect’s offseason.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026
The latest securities filing shows Strategy purchased its horde of 713,502 tokens for an average price of $76,052 each, or $54.26 billion in total.
From Barron's • Feb. 2, 2026
In the fall of 2015, a horde of lawyers from across the country descended on Las Vegas and beelined for the Bellagio Resort and Casino.
From Slate • Jan. 13, 2026
Anya gaped at the horde of chirruping birds all around her, and she whispered to Håkon, “These are your friends?”
From Anya and the Dragon by Sofiya Pasternack
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.
