Meaning & use
shepherds
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“shepherds” is a form of “shepherd”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
nouncountable
People whose job is to take care of sheep, often moving them from place to place to find grass.
Grammar: Countable noun; the singular is 'shepherd' and you normally use 'a' or 'the' with it.
Patterns
- a shepherd looks after sheep
- the shepherds move the flock
The shepherds led the flock up the hillside at dawn.
In the story, three shepherds arrive at the village on the same night.
Local shepherds know every path across these mountains.
verbtransitive
To guide or lead a group of people or animals somewhere, especially by staying close to them and keeping them together.
Grammar: Takes an object: shepherd someone somewhere. It is usually used in the pattern 'shepherd someone into/to/through something'.
Patterns
- shepherd someone into something
- shepherd someone through something
- shepherd a group somewhere
Teachers shepherded the children into the hall for the assembly.
Security staff shepherd visitors through the building in small groups.
He shepherded the whole team onto the bus before it started to rain.
nouncountablereligionformal
A religious leader who is believed to guide and care for a group of believers.
Grammar: Countable and often used as a respectful title in religious writing.
Patterns
- the shepherd of a congregation
The bishop described himself as a shepherd of the local churches.
In many traditions, the shepherd is responsible for the spiritual care of the people.
Word forms
| plural | shepherds |
|---|---|
| third person singular | shepherds |
| past tense | shepherded |
| past participle | shepherded |
| -ing form | shepherding |
Common combinations
- shepherd a flock
- Each morning he shepherds the flock down to the river.
- a good shepherd
- A good shepherd notices at once when a sheep is missing.
- shepherd someone through
- Her tutor shepherded her through the whole application process.
- shepherd the crowd
- Stewards shepherded the crowd away from the stage.
- shepherd people into
- Volunteers shepherded people into the shelter before the storm hit.
Synonyms and how they differ
- herder
- A general word for anyone who looks after grazing animals; 'shepherd' is more specific because it is usually about sheep.
- guide
- Fits when the focus is on showing the way; 'shepherd' suggests more careful, protective control of a group.
- pastor
- Used for a religious leader who cares for people; 'shepherd' is the older, more picture-like word for the same idea.
Word family
- shepherdess noun
- An old-fashioned word for a female shepherd.
- shepherding noun
- The activity of looking after sheep or guiding a group of people.
Commonly confused: shepherds or sheepherder? shepherds or Shepard?
shepherds vs sheepherder
Mostly American and more general; it can describe someone who looks after any grazing animals, while 'shepherd' usually means someone who tends sheep.
shepherds vs Shepard
A common surname spelled with an 'a'; the animal word is always 'shepherd' with an 'e' in the middle.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'shepherd' correctly as a verb?
Choose one answer.
The verb needs a third-person singular ending in the present: 'shepherds'. Option A misses the -s, option C needs 'shepherding' after 'is', and option D wrongly adds 'to' before the object.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “shepherds”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.