herald

The word “herald” means a person or thing that announces or signals that something is coming. In plain terms, someone or something that announces good or bad news to come.

“Herald” is pronounced HEH-ruhld (/ˈhɛɹəld/ in IPA).

Here is “herald” used in a sentence: “The first daffodils are a herald of spring.”

Depending on how it is used, “herald” can be a noun and a verb.

The word “herald” comes from Old French. From Old French heraut, ultimately from a Germanic word combining "army" with a root meaning "to have power" — the same root gives us the names Harold and Harald.

“Herald” is a fairly common word in modern English, usually learned at around the C2 level.

“Herald” has 2 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a person or thing that announces or signals that something is coming.

Both announce that something is coming, but a herald can be a person or thing that formally announces or signals an arrival, while a harbinger is usually a sign or forerunner, often of something bad. Herald is more neutral and can be positive, whereas harbinger frequently carries a note of warning.

To announce is simply to make something known publicly, while to herald something is to signal or proclaim that it is about to happen, often with a sense of importance or ceremony. Heralding suggests that the thing being signaled is significant or eagerly awaited.

As a verb, herald often appears in phrases such as herald a new era, herald the arrival of, and herald a change. As a noun, it commonly appears in "a herald of" something, as in "a herald of spring."

Historically, a herald was an official who carried messages, made public proclamations, and announced the arrival of important people, especially on behalf of royalty. This role is the origin of the modern meaning of a person or thing that announces that something is coming.