shepherd
noun
a person who herds, tends, and guards sheep.
shepherd
1 American
[shep-erd]
/ ˈʃɛp ərd /
noun
shepherds
plural
verb (used with object)
shepherds,
present (3rd person singular)
shepherded,
past participle, past
shepherding
present participle
-
to tend or guard as a shepherd.
to shepherd the flock.
-
to watch over carefully.
Shepherd
2
American
[shep-erd]
/ ˈʃɛp ərd /
noun
shepherd
1
British
/ ˈʃɛpəd /
noun
-
Female equivalent: shepherdess. a person employed to tend sheep
-
a person, such as a clergyman, who watches over or guides a group of people
verb
-
to guide or watch over in the manner of a shepherd
-
Australian rules football to prevent opponents from tackling (a member of one's own team) by blocking their path
Shepherd
2
British
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
undershepherdnoun
-
shepherdlessadjective
-
shepherdlikeadjective
-
unshepherdedadjective
-
unshepherdingadjective
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
shepherdsimple
-
shepherdssimple
-
have shepherdedperfect
-
has shepherdedperfect
-
am shepherdingprogressive
-
are shepherdingprogressive
-
is shepherdingprogressive
-
have been shepherdingperfect progressive
-
has been shepherdingperfect progressive
Past
-
shepherdedsimple
-
had shepherdedperfect
-
was shepherdingprogressive
-
were shepherdingprogressive
-
had been shepherdingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of shepherd
before 1050; Middle English shepherde, Old English scēphyrde. See sheep, herd 2
Explanation
A shepherd is a person who herds flocks or groups of animals. If you traveled to Tibet, you might see a yak shepherd. Shepherd comes from the Old English sceaphierde: sheepherder. Such a person protects sheep from animals that would attack them, keeps them from wandering, and otherwise takes care of the flock. The word is also a verb that describes care of a group — sheep, other animals, even people. You might shepherd your herd of goats, or shepherd your younger siblings through the transition from elementary to middle school.
Vocabulary lists containing shepherd
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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:
People who shepherd their loved ones through serious illness are often crucial to the well-being of the patients using the company’s products.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 7, 2026
“Neon is a perfect custodian for this film, and they will shepherd it to the big screen, I think very effectively,” he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 30, 2026
And how much wolf can you cry before they just take you off shepherd duty?
From Slate ● Jun. 12, 2026
It took more than that to shepherd Arsenal through its most turbulent spell in a generation.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 29, 2026
The baby, he says, was given to him by another shepherd from the Laius household, who had been told to get rid of the child.
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
In the 1995 movie “The American President”, Michael Douglas’ character President Andrew Shepherd gives a stirring speech about that very topic.
From Salon ● Jul. 5, 2026
Shepherd is a co-founder of VNV, LLC and holds stock in and is a consultant for Aera Therapeutics, Inc., which licenses intellectual property and patents that include Arc capsids.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 30, 2026
Unlike Kelly Clarkson and Sherri Shepherd, Hudson will be back for another season as the talk show landscape evolves with podcasts becoming the go-to medium for celebrities.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 28, 2026
You wouldn't be wrong to think of Two Weeks in August as something of a British White Lotus, a comparison its writer Catherine Shepherd has addressed.
From BBC ● May 16, 2026
I folded my arms across my chest to stop my hand flapping and shaking itself out, which is a habit Mr Shepherd says I must lose.
From "The London Eye Mystery" by Siobhan Dowd
The pope shepherds a flock of some 1.4 billion global Catholics, so his words naturally command attention and interest.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026
In Spain, fritter-like buñuelos showed up with the Moors, and by some reports, churros were a Chinese idea that was later dragged through molten chocolate by hungry Madrileños or wandering shepherds or both.
From Salon ● Feb. 5, 2026
His wife, Julia Pierrat, 58, shepherds Marc, 59, through meals and naptime, ensures he is clean and comfortable, gently offers names and words he can’t find himself.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2025
"I think it's Moshe Sharvit," said Gil Alexander, 72, a devout religious Jew who tries to protect Palestinian shepherds from intimidation by Jewish settlers.
From BBC ● May 11, 2025
He thought of all the married shepherds he had known.
From "The Alchemist" by Paulo Coelho
The almost seamless transition from Intel chips was shepherded by John Ternus, who will become Apple CEO in September.
From Barron's ● Jun. 2, 2026
The mother of the bride, Phyllis Amaral, shepherded family members to a handful of front-row folding chairs.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 28, 2026
A longtime political operative, Wiles played a key role in Trump's political comeback and shepherded his 2024 campaign to victory.
From BBC ● Mar. 16, 2026
While Gilligan cut his speculative storytelling teeth by writing out-there adventures for Fox Mulder and Dana Scully, those were one-and-done affairs shepherded by characters with investigative expertise.
From Salon ● Nov. 26, 2025
“Get back!” shouted Ron, and he, Harry, and Hermione flattened themselves against a door as a herd of galloping desks thundered past, shepherded by a sprinting Professor McGonagall.
From "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows" by J.K. Rowling
"Thanking Clive Davis for transforming music, and on a very personal note, for believing in me, shepherding my efforts and a half century of your love and support."
From BBC ● Jun. 22, 2026
Ternus is best known for shepherding the almost seamless transition of Mac computers from Intel’s chips to the company’s own Apple Silicon.
From Barron's ● Apr. 22, 2026
Is he cautiously shepherding in the A.I. age, or is that just another part of the pitch?
From Slate ● Apr. 12, 2026
Bores plunged into the Manhattan congressional race after three years in the state assembly, where his chief achievement was shepherding the AI bill.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 20, 2026
Nala could’ve been shepherding cows through a wind tunnel.
From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein
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.
