What does "shepherd" mean?
A person who tends sheep, especially a grazing flock.
Shepherd
/ˈʃɛpəd/ name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A person who tends sheep, especially a grazing flock.
- Grammar: shepherd is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: abbe, advance, air warden, attend.
- Useful contrasts: abandon, block, city dweller.
- Usage evidence: The German Shepherd was limping down the street.
How to use "shepherd"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "shepherd" 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 "shepherd" 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 "shepherd" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "shepherd" 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 "shepherd" 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 "abbe" 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 "shepherd", 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 person who tends sheep, especially a grazing flock. countable
"It was April 22, 1831, and a young man was walking down Whitehall in the direction of Parliament Street. He wore shepherd's plaid trousers and the swallow-tail coat of the day, with a figured muslin cravat wound about his wide-spread collar."
- 2 a herder of sheep (on an open range); someone who keeps the sheep together in a flock wordnet
- 3 A person who tends sheep, especially a grazing flock.; A male sheep tender countable
- 4 a clergyman who watches over a group of people wordnet
- 5 Someone who watches over, looks after, or guides somebody. countable, figuratively
"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want."
Show 5 more definitions
- 6 Someone who watches over, looks after, or guides somebody.; A male watcher/guardian/guider/leader countable, figuratively
- 7 The pastor of a church; one who guides others in religion. countable, figuratively
- 8 The pastor of a church; one who guides others in religion.; A male pastor countable, figuratively
- 9 A swain; a rustic male lover. countable, poetic
- 10 A German Shepherd. countable
"The dirt floor, low ceiling and unfinished stone walls were barely illuminated by candles and a dim string of green decorative lights. A nervous shepherd mix barked at me as a woman tried to calm it. When my eyes adjusted, I saw people in corners."
Verb
- 1 To watch over; to guide. transitive
"For me has Pain, the sentinel, / Been vigilant / To pace my plot and dwell / Within my tent; / Oft in the night with small alarms / Has stirred me out of rest, / Alert, oppressed, / Till shepherded within thine arms / And on thy breast, / O loving Lady, in the curse of Pain / I have been blest— / […]"
- 2 tend as a shepherd, as of sheep or goats wordnet
- 3 To obstruct an opponent from getting to the ball, either when a teammate has it or is going for it, or if the ball is about to bounce through the goal or out of bounds. transitive
- 4 watch over like a shepherd, as a teacher of their pupils wordnet
Proper Noun
- 1 An English surname originating as an occupation. countable, uncountable
- 2 A male given name. countable, uncountable
- 3 A number of places in the United States:; An unincorporated community in Boone County, Indiana. countable, uncountable
- 4 A number of places in the United States:; A village in Isabella County, Michigan. countable, uncountable
- 5 A number of places in the United States:; A census-designated place in Yellowstone County, Montana. countable, uncountable
Show 1 more definition
- 6 A number of places in the United States:; A city in San Jacinto County, Texas. countable, uncountable
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"The German Shepherd was limping down the street."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "shepherd"?
Common synonyms include: abbe, advance, air warden, attend, attend to, attendant.
How do you use "shepherd" in a sentence?
The German Shepherd was limping down the street.
How do you pronounce "shepherd"?
Pronounced /ˈʃɛpəd/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English schepherde, from Old English sċēaphierde, a compound of sċēap (“sheep”) and hierde (“herdsman”), equivalent to modern sheep + herd (“herder”).
Etymology 2
From shepherd.