Herod

American

[her-uhd] / ˈhɛr əd /

noun

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

Herod British

/ ˈhɛrəd /

noun

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

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Example Sentences

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Herod

A planned role as King Herod in a production of “Jesus Christ Superstar” was put on ice.

From Salon ● Aug. 6, 2026

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

“There was never a stranger in Roland’s life,” Herod said.

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

Inside the East Hall of the Science Museum, Herod Sayle was coming to the end of his speech.

From "Stormbreaker" by Anthony Horowitz

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023