horde

noun

ˈhȯrd How to pronounce horde (audio)
Synonyms of horde
1
a
: a political subdivision of central Asian nomads
b
: a people or tribe of nomadic life
2
: a large unorganized group of individuals : a teeming crowd or throng
hordes of peasants

Synonyms of horde

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crowd, throng, horde, crush, mob mean an assembled multitude.

crowd implies a close gathering and pressing together.

a crowd gathered

throng and horde suggest movement and pushing.

a throng of reporters
a horde of shoppers

crush emphasizes the compactness of the group, the difficulty of individual movement, and the attendant discomfort.

a crush of fans

mob implies a disorderly crowd with the potential for violence.

an angry mob

Examples of horde in a Sentence

A horde of tourists entered the museum. Hordes of reporters were shouting questions.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Then, a horde of onlookers zombie-stagger after Shakur and Knight, out of the casino, toward Las Vegas Boulevard. — Jeff Weiss, HollywoodReporter, 1 Sep. 2026 Each year, hordes of celebrities — including A-list musicians — flock to The Met in New York City to walk the red carpet in avant-garde outfits inspired by the Costume Institute’s spring theme. — Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 31 Aug. 2026 Another horde, the Reapers, runs around shirtless to show off their thick black tattoos. — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 28 Aug. 2026 Spanish protesters and migrants clashed with police and each other in Ceuta, one month after a horde of over 70,000 Moroccan migrants abruptly swarmed the small Spanish enclave. — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 28 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for horde

Word History

Etymology

Middle French, German, & Polish; Middle French & German, from Polish horda, from Ukrainian dialect gorda, alteration of Ukrainian orda, from Old Russian, from Turkic orda, ordu khan's residence

First Known Use

1555, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of horde was in 1555

Rhymes for horde

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Browse Nearby Words

horchata
horde
hordenine
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Cite this Entry

“Horde.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/horde. Accessed 4 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

horde

noun
ˈhō(ə)rd How to pronounce horde (audio)
ˈhȯ(ə)rd
1
: a wandering people or tribe
2
: a great multitude : throng, swarm
hordes of tourists
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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