HERALD Synonyms: 165 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'herald' distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of herald are forerunner , harbinger , and precursor . While all these words mean "one that goes before or announces the coming of another," harbinger and herald both apply, chiefly figuratively, to one that proclaims or announces the coming or arrival of a notable event. // their early victory was the harbinger of a winning season // the herald of a new age in medicine

Q: In what contexts can 'forerunner' take the place of 'herald'?

Although the words forerunner and herald have much in common, forerunner is applicable to anything that serves as a sign or presage. // the blockade was the forerunner of war

Q: When is it sensible to use 'precursor' instead of 'herald'?

While in some cases nearly identical to herald , precursor applies to a person or thing paving the way for the success or accomplishment of another. // 18th century poets like Burns were precursors of the Romantics

herald 1 of 2

noun

ˈher-əld

Definition of herald next

as in advocate

a person who actively supports or favors a cause an outspoken herald of prison reform

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

as in harbinger

one that announces or indicates the later arrival of another the American robin—the herald of spring in the North

Synonyms & Similar Words

herald

2 of 2

verb

as in to foreshadow

to give a slight indication of beforehand the reshuffle of the company's management heralded the sweeping changes to come

Synonyms & Similar Words

as in to announce

to make known openly or publicly herald the great tidings to all the world

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word herald distinct from other similar nouns?

Some common synonyms of herald are forerunner, harbinger, and precursor. While all these words mean "one that goes before or announces the coming of another," harbinger and herald both apply, chiefly figuratively, to one that proclaims or announces the coming or arrival of a notable event.

their early victory was the harbinger of a winning season

the herald of a new age in medicine

In what contexts can forerunner take the place of herald?

Although the words forerunner and herald have much in common, forerunner is applicable to anything that serves as a sign or presage.

the blockade was the forerunner of war

When is it sensible to use precursor instead of herald?

While in some cases nearly identical to herald, precursor applies to a person or thing paving the way for the success or accomplishment of another.

18th century poets like Burns were precursors of the Romantics

Example Sentences

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Recent Examples of herald

Noun

The part comes with all sorts of details that serve as the heralds of its legitimacy, like the fact that Jolie spent months in training to sing opera, her real voice blended with Callas’s famous one whenever her character performs. —

Alison Willmore, Vulture, 29 Aug. 2024 An 1867 painting lent by the Autry Museum of the American West shows an arriving train as a herald of progress, with deer fleeing its oncoming beam. —

Anne Wallentine, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Oct. 2024

Verb

The whales are considered critically endangered, with a population estimated at around 370 and only 70 actively reproducing females, so the birth of each new calf is heralded. —

Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA TODAY, 6 Feb. 2025 Barkley was heralded as the offensive weapon the Giants needed to get back to being title contenders, but issues up and down the roster kept that from happening. —

Greg Rosenstein, NBC News, 5 Feb. 2025 See all Example Sentences for herald

Recent Examples of Synonyms for herald

Noun

Homeless advocates defied a prominent real estate company on Saturday by promising to continue their weekly food distributions and church services in a North Sacramento parking lot.

— Mathew Miranda, Sacramento Bee, 9 Feb. 2025
Crime, courts and policing Immigration crackdown could deter workers from reporting hazards, advocates warn.

— Andrew J. Campa, Los Angeles Times, 9 Feb. 2025