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.
As hopes of his survival faded, Dawa Sherpa had slowly been making his way back, and on Thursday he was spotted by a cleaning crew as he slid slowly down the world's tallest mountain.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
Thrall had last seen Dawa Sherpa sitting on his backpack to have a short rest as they made their way back towards base camp after arduous days of climbing.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
Pemba Sherpa, executive director of 8K Expeditions which was overseeing search efforts, called it a "true self-rescue".
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
Dawa Sherpa was last seen above Camp 3, at around 7,500m.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
Ms. O’Dowd walked to the team’s Sherpa leader, Ang Dorje, and said audibly: “This is Ken Vernon, one of the ones we told you about. He is to be given no assistance whatsoever.”
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
A fluffy, faux-wool sherpa underside sits next to the skin.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 23, 2026
The third member of the group, another Italian man, was rescued along with one sherpa.
From BBC ● Nov. 5, 2025
They have been, in some ways, a sherpa for us, to guide us through the evolution of humanity.
From Salon ● Apr. 23, 2024
Lyonne says she too benefited from a motherly Hollywood sherpa when Amy Poehler took her under her wing.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 24, 2024
“I’m just the lowly governor today. I’m the sherpa, as I like to say.”
From New York Times ● Jan. 22, 2024
However, it also raises troubling questions for the booming high-altitude tourism industry, and shines a spotlight on the deadly risks Sherpas who work on Mount Everest face.
From BBC ● Jun. 10, 2026
Appeared in the January 26, 2026, print edition as 'Ro and Our New Health Sherpas'.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 25, 2026
Nima is hoping to bring some of that attention back to the Sherpas.
From NewsForKids.net ● Oct. 24, 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
Somehow he managed to convince two Sherpas to accompany him, Ang Dawa and Tenzing Norgay.
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.
