What does "herald" mean?
A messenger, especially one bringing important news.
Herald
/ˈhɛɹəld/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A messenger, especially one bringing important news.
- Grammar: herald is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: acclaim, acclaims, ancestor, announce.
- Useful contrasts: conceal, deny, hide.
- Usage evidence: Having scattered the enemy before me and triumphantly returned, this is how they would herald me.
How to use "herald"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "herald" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "herald" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "herald" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "herald" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "herald" is acting as name, noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "acclaim" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "herald", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A messenger, especially one bringing important news.
"The herald blew his trumpet and shouted that the King was dead."
- 2 Alternative form of hareld (“long-tailed duck”). alt-of, alternative
- 3 something that precedes and indicates the approach of something or someone wordnet
- 4 A harbinger, giving signs of things to come.
"Daffodils are heralds of Spring."
- 5 (formal) a person who announces important news wordnet
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 An official whose speciality is heraldry, especially one between the ranks of pursuivant and king-of-arms
"Rouge Dragon is a herald at the College of Arms."
- 7 A moth of the species Scoliopteryx libatrix.
- 8 A handbill consisting of an advertisement.
"New this season will be a 20-sheet poster depicting 21 K-M elephants parading to local Chevrolet agencies. Deal calls for use of the 20-sheet on poster panels where the auto agency has space allotment. Smaller versions of the same art also will be used. Circulation of Kelly-Miller heralds, which last season averaged between 5,000 and 6,000 copies per stand, will be in for one of the greatest boosts this year."
Verb
- 1 To proclaim or announce an event. figuratively, often, transitive
"Daffodils herald the Spring."
- 2 praise vociferously wordnet
- 3 To greet something with excitement; to hail. passive, transitive, usually
"The film was heralded by critics."
- 4 greet enthusiastically or joyfully wordnet
- 5 foreshadow or presage wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
- 2 A census-designated place in Sacramento County, California, United States.
Example
"Having scattered the enemy before me and triumphantly returned, this is how they would herald me."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "herald"?
Common synonyms include: acclaim, acclaims, ancestor, announce, announce, announce.
How do you use "herald" in a sentence?
Having scattered the enemy before me and triumphantly returned, this is how they would herald me.
How do you pronounce "herald"?
Pronounced /ˈhɛɹəld/.
Etymology
From Latin heraldus, from Middle English herald, herauld, heraud, from Anglo-Norman heraud, from Old French heraut, hiraut (modern French héraut), from Frankish *heriwald, from Proto-Germanic *harjawaldaz, a compound consisting of Proto-Indo-European *ker- (“army”) + *h₂welh₁- (“to be strong”). Doublet of Harold and Harald; compare Walter, which has these elements reversed.