herd
gb/hˈɚd/ us/hˈɚd/
A2
English
~ 4700
csorda, gulya, nyáj, terel, összeterel, tömeg
NOUN
A2
1
Usage pattern:
a herd of [animals]
A herd of elephants crossed the river at dawn.
Egy elefántcsorda hajnalban átkelt a folyón.
The farmer led his herd of cows back to the barn.
A gazda visszaterelte a tehéncsordáját az istállóba.
We saw a large herd of deer in the meadow.
The herd moved slowly across the plain.
Lions often target weak animals in a herd.
Learner examples
The herd of cows is in the field.
A tehéncsorda a mezőn van.
We saw a herd of sheep on the road.
Egy juhnyájat láttunk az úton.
A herd of elephants walked past us.
The herd eats grass together.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use 'herd' for people in neutral contexts; in modern English, that is usually metaphorical or negative when used for humans.
Meaning
group of animals
Collocations
herd of cattle
|herd of elephants
|herd of sheep
|herd grazing
|herd migration
Synonyms
flock (Used mainly for birds and some small animals, not large mammals like cows.)
|
pack (Usually used for groups of dogs, wolves, or similar predators.)
Antonyms
individual (Refers to a single animal rather than a group.)
Themes
nature
|farming
|wildlife
|animals
Definition
A group of the same kind of animals living or moving together.
A large number of animals of the same species that live, feed, or travel together.
VERB
A2
2
terel
B1
összeterel
B2
Usage pattern:
to herd [animals] [somewhere]
The shepherd herded the sheep into the pen.
A pásztor beterelte a juhokat a karámba.
They herded the cattle toward the waterhole.
A marhákat az itatóhely felé terelték.
Farmers often herd their animals before nightfall.
He herded the goats up the hill.
Learner examples
The farmer herded the cows into the barn.
A gazda beterelte a teheneket az istállóba.
She herded the sheep into the field.
Kiterelte a juhokat a mezőre.
They herded the goats down the road.
Common mistake:
Learners may confuse 'herd' with 'heard' due to pronunciation, but they have different meanings and spellings.
Meaning
to gather/move animals
Collocations
herd cattle
|herd sheep
|herd goats
Synonyms
drive (In farming, means to move animals forward, often over a distance.)
Antonyms
scatter (To cause animals to move apart rather than staying in a group.)
Themes
farming
|wildlife
|animals
|work
Definition
To bring animals together and move them as a group.
To make animals move together in a group, often towards a place.
NOUN
B2
3
Many investors acted like a herd and sold their shares.
Sok befektető csordaként viselkedett, és eladta a részvényeit.
She refused to follow the herd and chose a different career path.
Nem volt hajlandó a tömeg után menni, és más pályát választott.
The herd mentality can lead to bad decisions.
Learner examples
I do not want to follow the herd.
Nem akarok a tömeg után menni.
The crowd moved like a herd.
A tömeg úgy mozgott, mint egy csorda.
He thinks for himself and does not join the herd.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize this use is figurative and can carry a negative meaning when referring to people.
Meaning
group of conforming people
Collocations
follow the herd
|herd mentality
Synonyms
crowd (A large number of people gathered together, without implying lack of independent thought.)
|
mob (A large crowd, often angry or disorderly.)
Antonyms
individuals (People acting with independence rather than as part of an unthinking group.)
Themes
society
|psychology
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A crowd of people who act the same way and do not think for themselves.
A large group of people who are thought to behave in the same way, often without independent thought or decision-making.
VERB
B1
4
terel
B1
összeterel
B2
Usage pattern:
to herd [people] [somewhere]
Security herded the fans out of the stadium.
A biztonságiak kiterelték a szurkolókat a stadionból.
Teachers herded the students onto the bus.
A tanárok felterelték a diákokat a buszra.
The tourists were herded through the museum quickly.
Learner examples
The guard herded people out of the building.
Az őr kiterelte az embereket az épületből.
She herded the children into the classroom.
Beterelte a gyerekeket a tanterembe.
They herded us into a small room.
Meaning
to gather/move people
Collocations
herd passengers
|herd children
Synonyms
marshal (To organize and move people in an orderly way, often with more planning and control.)
Antonyms
disperse (To cause people to spread out rather than stay together.)
Themes
society
|movement
|communication
|law
Definition
To bring people together and move them as one group, sometimes without giving them choice.
To make people move together in a group, often quickly or against their will.
Grammar
Dictionary form
herd
IPA
GB/hˈɚd/
US/hˈɚd/
Syllables & stress
herd (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (herd)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: herd
- Plural: herds
Verb
- Base: herd
- 3rd Person Singular: herds
- Present Participle: herding
- Past: herded
Word family
Forms
herds
noun
herding
verb
herded
verb
Related words
herder
noun
Advanced or less common
herdsman
noun
Expressions
follow the herd
1/fˈɑloʊ ðə hˈɚd/
idiom
copy most people's actions
To do what most other people are doing, without thinking about it yourself.
Examples
- Don't just follow the herd when making investments.
- She prefers to make her own decisions instead of following the herd.
herd mentality
1/hˈɚd mɛntˈælɪti/
fixed phrase
group conformity behavior
When people in a group think and act like others without making their own decisions.
Examples
- Herd mentality can influence how markets behave.
- The sudden sell-off was driven more by herd mentality than by real economic problems.
- The fashion trend spread quickly because of herd mentality.
- Social media can create a herd mentality, where users copy what others post without questioning it.