Sherpa
noun
a member of a people of Tibetan descent living in the Nepalese Himalayas, who often serve as porters on mountain-climbing expeditions.
Sherpa
American
[shur-puh]
/ ˈʃɜr pə /
noun
-
Sherpas,
plural
-
Sherpa
plural
-
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.
Sherpa
1
British
/ ˈʃɜːpə /
noun
sherpa
2
British
/ ˈʃɜːpə /
noun
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of Sherpa
First recorded in 1840–50; from Sherpa sharpa, equiavalent to shar “east” + pa “people” (referring to the origin of this people in eastern Tibet)
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:
“All of a sudden you had an added soap opera narrative of leaving climbers behind to die; people putting Sherpa climbers in danger.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
Instead, her work has focused on the Sherpa people, an ethnic group from the surrounding Himalayan regions, who often work as guides and porters for foreign mountaineers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 2026
“When I first went to Nepal I fell in love with Sherpa culture and the yaks,” Higdon said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
"We have to fix our own ropes, cut our steps into the ice, and set up camps as we go along," says Nima Rinji Sherpa.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
At that point Woodall declared, “Either you’re a bloody liar or your Sherpa is.”
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
The sherpa, named as Mohammed Hassan, had fallen off a ledge on Pakistan's K2 - the world's second-highest mountain.
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2023
And then there are the Sherpas — Namgyal and his wife, Pasang, a former Buddhist nun, who hail from the Khumbu region of Nepal and live on the property with Higdon.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 8, 2026
"We reached it on 10 April. The crevasse below is melting," he said, adding that Sherpas after him said it had melted further and was close to collapsing.
From BBC ● Apr. 23, 2026
Appeared in the January 26, 2026, print edition as 'Ro and Our New Health Sherpas'.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 25, 2026
He says he wants to show that Sherpas are as good as climbers from any other country.
From NewsForKids.net ● Oct. 24, 2024
“The Sherpas we’ve hired are the best in the business,” he told us.
From "Into Thin Air" by Jon Krakauer
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