shepherd

1 of 2

noun

shep·​herd ˈshe-pərd 

1

: a person who tends sheep

2

: pastor

3

: german shepherd

shepherd

2 of 2

verb

shepherded; shepherding; shepherds

transitive verb

1

: to tend as a shepherd

2

: to guide or guard in the manner of a shepherd

shepherded the bill through Congress

Synonyms

Verb

• coach
• counsel
• guide
• lead
• mentor
• pilot
• show
• tutor

Examples of shepherd in a Sentence

Verb

She carefully shepherded the children across the street.

They shepherded the bill through Congress.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Jade, a 3-year-old shepherd, was originally adopted from an animal shelter in Olathe, Kansas, in December 2024. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 18 Mar. 2025

Saint Patrick was actually British, captured by Irish pirates and enslaved as a teenager to work as a shepherd. —Maureen Murphy, Hartford Courant, 14 Mar. 2025

Verb

Joe Tracz, who joined in Season 2 as executive producer/co-showrunner, remains on the series and will shepherd the upcoming second season through post-production. —Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 21 Mar. 2025

As the industry grows, women are leading the charge—shepherding important initiatives that connect and cut across manufacturing, policy, technology development, grid integration and more. —Stacy Noblet, Forbes, 18 Mar. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English sheepherde, from Old English scēaphyrde, from scēap sheep + hierde herdsman; akin to Old English heord herd

First Known Use

Noun

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1790, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing shepherd

• Anatolian shepherd
• Australian shepherd
• English shepherd
• German shepherd
• shepherd dog
• shepherd's check
• shepherd's pie
• shepherd's purse

Rhymes for shepherd

• leopard
• peppered

Kids Definition

shepherd

1 of 2 noun

shep·​herd ˈshep-ərd 

1

: a person who takes care of sheep

2

: german shepherd

shepherd

2 of 2 verb

: to care for as or as if a shepherd