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
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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:
Rising wholesale prices tend to herald higher prices for consumers.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 9, 2026
Oncologists herald the small-molecule pill as a revolution in pancreatic cancer care.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 26, 2026
Some scientists have told the BBC that the auction may herald a new era in fossil collecting by the ultra-rich.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 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
When they went forth from Oldtown, it was for one purpose only: to herald a change of seasons.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Skidelsky’s brand of 21st-century Keynesianism exemplifies how the heralds of prominent thinkers often lose a sense of proportion when they elaborate on their heroes’ ideas.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 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
It was the biggest increase in four years, and heralds more inflation in the pipeline of the economy.
From MarketWatch ● May 13, 2026
"This investment will further cement Port Talbot as a hub of the industries of the future and heralds the next chapter of jobs and investment to the area."
From BBC ● Mar. 26, 2026
It had been a mild, serene spring day—one of those days which, towards the end of March or the beginning of April, rise shining over the earth as heralds of summer.
From "Jane Eyre" by Charlotte Brontë
The private markets exchange received regulatory approval in August 2025, when the LSE heralded it as the world’s first bespoke regulatory regime for a private stock exchange.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026
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
Once a heralded prospect for the Braves, he put together a 16-year MLB career that included a second-place rookie of the year finish, an All-Star nod, and a stellar reputation for defense and veteran leadership.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
A crop of new television shows are questioning whether the innovators once heralded as making the world a better place have traded lofty virtuous ambitions for profits and power.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, and Martin Luther King III were among those who traveled hundreds of miles to participate in what was heralded as “the beginnings of a new civil rights movement.”
From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander
But far from heralding an imminent big move upward in the market, a particularly severe bear market was about to begin.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026
In U.S.-China news, a Trump-Xi summit began with President Trump heralding the “tremendous strides” made, and previewed discussions on security and technology issues.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
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
This will introduce a cooler north wind, heralding an end to heatwave conditions.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
Rather than heralding a new era of easy living, the Agricultural Revolution left farmers with lives generally more difficult and less satisfying than those of foragers.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
