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
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
By scrapping discs, PlayStation is positioning itself as the first console-maker to herald an end to physical media.
From Slate ● Jul. 7, 2026
And that night, as he sat to supper, a horn sounded to herald the arrival of another guest.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
Even so, this heralds the potential of personalized mRNA vaccines to treat and prevent cancers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 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 heralds a new era of wildlife overcrossings to improve wildlife connectivity,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2026
It was the biggest increase in four years, and heralds more inflation in the pipeline of the economy.
From MarketWatch ● May 13, 2026
When the heralds had finished telling of each hero's deeds, he rose.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
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
Hans Johnson, the commission’s chairman, heralded the court’s August ruling.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 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
Once heralded as Kane's successor, international ambitions may have to wait for the time being.
From BBC ● Aug. 27, 2026
In 1927, as story after story in the Odessa News heralded new strikes in the oil field, the only non-oil-related activity that made the front page was the exploits of the Odessa High Yellowjackets.
From "Friday Night Lights: A Town, A Team, And A Dream" by H.G. Bissinger
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
Moth swarms so thick they can blot out the stars are fluttering across Australia, heralding a migratory spectacle unseen since the creature's brush with extinction nearly 10 years ago.
From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026
This will introduce a cooler north wind, heralding an end to heatwave conditions.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
It’s just one of many shows taking place from Pomona to Palm Desert, heralding a Latino-led youth revival where the freewheeling movement of mosh pits meets the raw power of punk rock: Inland Empire hardcore.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026
Finally he realized all that urgent loud noise was coming from outside his dreams in the real world, heralding another calamity, no doubt, and with a fatalistic whimper the volunteer awoke.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
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.
