herald

American  

[her-uhld] / ˈhɛr əld /

noun

heralds plural

1. (formerly) a royal or official messenger, especially one representing a monarch in an ambassadorial capacity during wartime.

2. a person or thing that precedes or comes before; forerunner; harbinger.

   the returning swallows, those heralds of spring.

3. a person or thing that proclaims or announces.

   A good newspaper should be a herald of truth.

4. (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.

5. 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.

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verb (used with object)

heralds, present (3rd person singular) heralded, past participle, past heralding present participle

1. to give news or tidings of; announce; proclaim.

   a publicity campaign to herald a new film.

2. to indicate or signal the coming of; usher in.

   Synonyms:

   tout, ballyhoo, publicize

herald British  

/ ˈhɛrəld /

noun

1. 1. a person who announces important news

   2. ( as modifier )

      herald angels

2. literary a forerunner; harbinger

3. the intermediate rank of heraldic officer, between king-of-arms and pursuivant

4. (in the Middle Ages) an official at a tournament

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verb

1. to announce publicly

2. to precede or usher in

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• heralds
  plural

Participles

• heralding
  present
• heralded
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• herald
  simple
• heralds
  simple
• have heralded
  perfect
• has heralded
  perfect
• am heralding
  progressive
• are heralding
  progressive
• is heralding
  progressive
• have been heralding
  perfect progressive
• has been heralding
  perfect progressive

Past

• heralded
  simple
• had heralded
  perfect
• was heralding
  progressive
• were heralding
  progressive
• had been heralding
  perfect progressive

Future

• will herald
  simple
• will have heralded
  perfect
• will be heralding
  progressive
• will have been heralding
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

She is a graduate of Brown University and the Rhode Island School of Design, where she reported for the Brown Daily Herald and studied computer science, public policy, and graphic design.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 21, 2026

According to the Gila Herald, a fish kill in 1976 claimed more than 5 million fish, and the reservoir's ecosystem required five years to recover.

From Science Daily • Jun. 18, 2026

McClure, from the ACT party, said the travel ban was "a type of foreign interference" and that she was "not going to apologise for visiting Taiwan", the New Zealand Herald reported.

From BBC • Jun. 4, 2026

It also owns 243 of its 665 stores, including its huge flagship store in Herald Square in Manhattan.

From Barron's • May 18, 2026

And the document included a copy of obituaries for Keith and Jim published in the Herald Journal, Logan’s local newspaper, on September 25, three days after the accident.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel