a member of a people of Tibetan descent living in the Nepalese Himalayas, who often serve as porters on mountain-climbing expeditions.
a Tibetic language spoken by the Sherpa.
Sometimes sherpa an expert chosen by a chief executive to assist in preparations for a summit meeting.
First recorded in 1840–50; from Sherpa sharpa, equiavalent to shar “east” + pa “people” (referring to the origin of this people in eastern Tibet)
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"I believe this problem occurred because they took him as a cook but used him as a guide," his longtime friend Pasang Dawa Sherpa told BBC Nepali.
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026
Hillary Dawa's family and friends, however, argue that the Sherpa was abandoned.
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026
The Snowdon Sherpa and T10 bus services also run and serve some of the most popular spots.
From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2026
Pemba Sherpa, executive director of 8K Expeditions which was overseeing search efforts, called it a "true self-rescue".
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
Pittman explains that she didn’t unclip herself from the Sherpa out of respect for his authority—as she put it, “I didn’t want to hurt Lopsang’s feelings.”
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
Before serving as Mr. Blanche’s chief of staff, I served as his sherpa during his confirmation process for deputy attorney general.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 12, 2026
Her final garment is a three-piece set combining a lycra sports bra with a mesh cutout, a layered lace tennis skirt and a cropped sherpa jacket.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 11, 2026
They have been, in some ways, a sherpa for us, to guide us through the evolution of humanity.
From Salon ● Apr. 23, 2024
“I’m just the lowly governor today. I’m the sherpa, as I like to say.”
From New York Times ● Jan. 22, 2024
A well-known Norwegian mountaineer has denied accusations that her team climbed over an injured sherpa during a bid to break a world record.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2023
Appeared in the January 26, 2026, print edition as 'Ro and Our New Health Sherpas'.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 25, 2026
Foreign climbers often get most of the attention for completing the climbs while Sherpas do much of the hard work in the same dangerous conditions.
From NewsForKids.net ● Oct. 24, 2024
Standing atop Mount Shishapangma on Wednesday morning, though, another life ambition was front of mind for the 18-year-old: to subvert the stereotype of Sherpas as mere helpers who assist foreign climbers on their ascents.
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2024
Last year, the deadliest climbing season in Everest history, three Sherpas were killed in the Khumbu when a towering block of ice collapsed and buried them.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 29, 2024
He was raised in the Rolwaling region, his parents’ only child, and he neither smoked nor drank, which was unusual among Sherpas.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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.
