horde

as in swarm
a great number of persons or creatures massed together a horde of mosquitoes hordes of tourists from the cruise ship crowded the shops and cafes

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun horde differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of horde are crowd, crush, mob, and throng. While all these words mean "an assembled multitude," throng and horde suggest movement and pushing.

a throng of reporters
a horde of shoppers

When is it sensible to use crowd instead of horde?

The synonyms crowd and horde are sometimes interchangeable, but crowd implies a close gathering and pressing together.

a crowd gathered

When might crush be a better fit than horde?

The words crush and horde can be used in similar contexts, but crush emphasizes the compactness of the group, the difficulty of individual movement, and the attendant discomfort.

a crush of fans

When can mob be used instead of horde?

The meanings of mob and horde largely overlap; however, mob implies a disorderly crowd with the potential for violence.

an angry mob

Examples Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of horde When Dong Kim, a 29-year-old travel blogger, visited in October, the excited hordes reminded him less of a zoo than a South American soccer game or a Black Friday door-buster sale. Stephanie Yang, Los Angeles Times, 25 Nov. 2024 The film, which takes place around 20 years after the events of Gladiator, also pits Lucius against a rhinoceros, a monkey and hordes of fellow gladiators, not to mention an invading army, power-hungry politicians and multiple ghosts from his past. Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Nov. 2024 Old school spots Robert’s Western World and Tootsie’s Orchid Lounge still cater to locals willing to brave the tourist hordes and bachelorette parties. Jessica Ritz, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Nov. 2024 The Weeknd publicly joined the hordes of music lovers mourning the momentous loss of Quincy Jones. Andre Gee, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for horde 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for horde
Noun
  • In a test held in the Gulf of Mexico in 2017, several Warthogs fired at a swarm of invading armed boats, while in September 2023 two Warthogs conducted a combat air patrol in the Gulf of Oman.
    Paul Du Quenoy, Newsweek, 9 Dec. 2024
  • But this week, the company unveiled an attack drone with a 50-mile range, capable of hunting in swarms and destroying armored vehicles.
    Danielle Chemtob, Forbes, 6 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • December and January see throngs of orcas and humpbacks arriving and penguin chicks hatching.
    Kerry Spencer, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Dec. 2024
  • In a dramatic scene, South Korean lawmakers worked their way through throngs of protesters and military vehicles to gather in the National Assembly building during the middle of the night, where members of the body who were present unanimously voted to end martial rule.
    Shannon K. Kingston, ABC News, 3 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • Ashley’s original, which has made musical history books for its pioneering use of the then-new element of feedback, seems to have a had a more carnival/cabaret feel, including crowd noise.
    Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 15 Dec. 2024
  • On special occasions, the spectacle draws in crowds to the riverbanks on both sides, where sometimes thousands of people gather to marvel at the bridge's dazzling transformation.
    Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 14 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • For centuries various scientists have been trying to figure out how flocks of birds and schools of fish are able to move in perfect unison. . . .
    Molly Fischer, The New Yorker, 4 Dec. 2024
  • Last week, the virus was found in a flock of ducks at a pet fair in Hawaii, the one state that hadn’t previously found a case — probably transmitted by wild birds, which continue to spread the illness far and wide.
    Zeynep Tufekci, The Mercury News, 4 Dec. 2024
Noun
  • One of nine Black students who integrated a high school in Arkansas’ capital city of Little Rock in 1957 while a mob of white segregationists yelled threats and insults.
    Ryan Hogg, Fortune, 3 Dec. 2024
  • The Miami resident wasn’t at the Capitol when a mob of Trump supporters stormed the building and interrupted the congressional certification of President Biden’s 2020 electoral victory.
    Michael Kunzelman, Los Angeles Times, 2 Dec. 2024

Thesaurus Entries Near horde

Cite this Entry

“Horde.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/horde. Accessed 21 Dec. 2024.

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