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.
The president also frequently recounts that hordes of women, including journalists, Cabinet members and administration officials, used to complain to him about their high heels getting stuck in the mud in the old, grassy Rose Garden. — ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026 Video from Hilton’s neighborhood taken by NBC South Florida showed a horde of sheriff’s patrol vehicles along a street blocked off by yellow tape amid the response. — Jessica Schladebeck, New York Daily News, 5 Aug. 2026 For those looking to escape the hordes, the Park Lane, set north of central Copenhagen, offers a pocket of peace. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 4 Aug. 2026 Many could be seen climbing up the walls and then running in hordes along the coast to get into the city. — Kimberlee Speakman, PEOPLE, 1 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 7 Aug. 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

More from Merriam-Webster on horde

Nglish: Translation of horde for Spanish Speakers

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