Herod

American  

[her-uhd] / ˈhɛr əd /

noun

1. the Great, 73?–4 b.c., king of Judea 37–4.

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Herod British  

/ ˈhɛrəd /

noun

1. called the Great. ?73–4 _bc , king of Judaea (37–4). The latter part of his reign was notable for his cruelty: according to the New Testament he ordered the Massacre of the Innocents

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Example Sentences

Her adulation of Herod, the assimilated Roman Jewish client-king of Judea, was contrary to most takes on him, certainly to the baby-Jesus-hunter of Matthew’s Gospel.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 12, 2025

In Germany emerged so-called "Herod games" in which people would reportedly stage mock attacks on churches and assail bystanders with inflated animal bladders to ridicule the cruel absurdity of the Judean king.

From Salon • Dec. 23, 2024

But even as he grew increasingly ill, he could make Herod laugh during phone calls.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 6, 2024

By stark contrast, his persecutors, led by King Herod and Pontius Pilate, wear severe white, floor-length robes and black coats.

From New York Times • Jan. 22, 2024

Cleopatra’s open hostility toward King Herod and his suspicion of her ensured that the queen received a somewhat frosty reception in Judea.

From "Sterling Biographies®: Cleopatra: Egypt's Last and Greatest Queen" by Susan Blackaby