plural hoards
: a supply or fund stored up and often hidden away
a hoard of cash
hoarded; hoarding; hoards
1
: to collect and often hide away a supply of : to accumulate a hoard (see hoard entry 1) of
hoarding food
2
: to keep (something, such as one's thoughts) to oneself
she hoarded her intention—
Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolfthe people outside disperse their affections, you hoard yours, you nurse them into intensity—Joseph Conrad
Joseph Conrad
: to collect and often hide away a supply of something
specifically
: to engage in compulsive hoarding
One thing people who hoard have in common is a skewed perceived value of possessions. —My Edmonds News (Edmonds, Washington)
My Edmonds News (Edmonds, Washington)
plural hoards
: a temporary board fence put around a building being erected or repaired : hoarding entry 2 sense 1
Examples of hoard in a Sentence
Noun (1)
a squirrel's hoard of nuts
keeps a hoard of empty yogurt containers in his basement workshop for storing whatnots
Verb
he's been hoarding empty yogurt containers all winter, with the intention of using them to start seedlings in the spring
Recent Examples on the Web
Bill Stone, Forbes.com, 10 May 2025
The hoard was found with a ceramic vessel that was broken, records show.
—Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2025
Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2025
In uncertain times, don’t hoard cash—reallocate it.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hoard
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
This cash hoard provides flexibility to take advantage of opportunities, including repurchasing its stock if the price declines to attractive levels.
—Bill Stone, Forbes.com, 10 May 2025
The hoard was found with a ceramic vessel that was broken, records show.
—Lauren Liebhaber, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2025
Verb
The county shouldn’t hoard money, but healthy fund balances are important when revenues plunge but needs increase.
—Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 25 June 2025
In uncertain times, don’t hoard cash—reallocate it.
—Expert Panel®, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for hoard
Cite this Entry
“Hoard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hoard. Accessed 30 Jun. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share