noun Uncommon

horde

hawd

Horde (noun) means a large, often unruly crowd of people. Example: “A horde of shoppers rushed in when the doors opened.”

noun

A large, often unruly crowd of people.

"A horde of shoppers rushed in when the doors opened."

A wandering tribe or group, especially of nomadic people.

"Historians describe the Mongol hordes sweeping across Asia."

verb

To move together in a large crowd.

"Fans horded toward the stage as the band appeared."

How to use horde

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA large, often disorderly crowd, or historically a nomadic tribe.

Common mistake

Don't confuse with "hoard", which means a stockpile of stored goods — hordes are people, hoards are things.

Easily confused with

hoard →

Common pairings

a horde of tourists invading hordes

Word forms

horded past tense, hordes plural, hordes singular

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Fill the gap

Can you complete this real example?

A _____ of shoppers rushed in when the doors opened.

Etymology

Entered English in the 1500s via French and German from Russian orda ("horde, clan, troop"), tracing back to a Turkic word for a ruler's camp or army. Related to the word "Urdu".

Origin: French · First attested 1500

Class of 1500 horde joined the language around 1500.

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Synonyms

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host drove legion swarm

Related words

drive army host crowd stream cloud server drove

Rhymes for horde

Concorde

See all rhymes for horde →

Frequently asked questions

What does “horde” mean?

The word “horde” means a large, often unruly crowd of people. In plain terms, a large, often disorderly crowd, or historically a nomadic tribe.

How do you pronounce “horde”?

“Horde” is pronounced hawd (/hɔɹd/ in IPA).

How do you use “horde” in a sentence?

Here is “horde” used in a sentence: “A horde of shoppers rushed in when the doors opened.”

What part of speech is “horde”?

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

Where does the word “horde” come from?

The word “horde” dates back to around 1500 and comes from French. Entered English in the 1500s via French and German from Russian orda ("horde, clan, troop"), tracing back to a Turkic word for a ruler's camp or army. Related to the word "Urdu".

Is “horde” a common word?

“Horde” is an uncommon word in modern English.

How many meanings does “horde” have?

“Horde” has 3 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: a large, often unruly crowd of people.

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