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:
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
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 imminent technology will also herald a revolution in the use of solar power for the electrical grid by enabling cost-effective storage of electricity from the sun.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
But he also proceeded with direction: nothing to herald the arrival of the Negro women to the laboratory, but nothing to derail their arrival either.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
Meanwhile, the development of autonomous systems guided by artificial intelligence heralds an even more momentous turn.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 7, 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
The question now is whether it remains merely a digital throwback to the past, or heralds a new era of wind in the hair motoring.
From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2026
“It heralds a new era of wildlife overcrossings to improve wildlife connectivity,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026
They came within cry of the Morannon, and unfurled the banner, and blew upon their trumpets; and the heralds stood out and sent their voices up over the battlement of Mordor.
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
HMP Millsike, in East Yorkshire, was heralded by the government for setting "the standard for the future" when it opened in March 2025 with 1,500 places.
From BBC ● Aug. 18, 2026
The Beijing-based search engine provider, sometimes called China's Google, has for years heralded the potential of AI in the country.
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
But Díaz was heralded as the best reliever on the free-agent market when the Dodgers signed him.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 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
It was covered in dormant young rosebuds, even now, well into June—a thing that happened only infrequently, and usually heralded an extra-long hot summer.
From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques
Four years later, he was at his blistering best, an unstoppable blend of pace, skill and ruthless finishing heralding him the best player on the planet.
From BBC ● Jun. 11, 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
The locals' tradition of heralding home the returnees, many of whom were detained for years, started with a small group of five or six people.
From Barron's ● Mar. 18, 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
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.
