sheep
gb/ʃˈip/ us/ʃˈip/
A1
English
~ 2700
Senses
0 senses
Noun
A1
entity
1
Domesticated farm animal with wool
A farm animal with thick wool that people keep for wool, meat, or milk.
Usage pattern:
[someone] raises [number] sheep
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'sheep' with 'ship' in pronunciation. Also, 'sheep' is both singular and plural, so 'sheeps' is incorrect.
Synonyms
lamb (Refers specifically to a young sheep.)
Antonyms
goat (Another similar domesticated animal, but different species with different traits.)
Collocations
flock of sheep
|herd sheep
|sheep farming
|sheep wool
|sheep meat
Themes
animals
|farming
|food
|food_drink
|daily_life
Examples
- The farmer owns over a hundred sheep.
- Sheep are grazing in the meadow.
- Wool from sheep is used to make warm clothing.
- They keep sheep for both meat and milk.
- A shepherd looks after the sheep every day.
Learner examples
- The sheep is in the field.
- I see many sheep on the hill.
- We get wool from sheep.
- The farmer has ten sheep.
Noun
B1
entity
2
Person who blindly follows others
Someone who follows other people and does not think for themselves.
Usage pattern:
[someone] is a sheep
Common mistake:
Learners may not recognize this figurative meaning and think it refers to the animal.
Synonyms
follower (General term for someone who follows others; less negative than 'sheep' in this sense.)
Antonyms
leader (Someone who guides others rather than following them.)
Collocations
follow like sheep
|mindless sheep
|herd of sheep (figurative)
Themes
people
|behavior
|society
|relationships
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- He just does whatever his friends do—he's such a sheep.
- The politician warned people not to be sheep and to think critically.
- They followed the trend like sheep without asking why.
Learner examples
- He is like a sheep.
- She follows her friends like a sheep.
- Do not be a sheep. Think yourself.
Grammar
Dictionary form
sheep
IPA
GB/ʃˈip/
US/ʃˈip/
Syllables & stress
sheep (1 syllable)
Stress on 1st syllable (sheep)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: sheep
- Plural: sheep
Word family
Expressions
count sheep
1/kˈaʊnt ʃˈip/
fixed phrase
Imagine sheep to fall asleep
To imagine sheep one after another to help you sleep.
Examples
- When I can't sleep, I count sheep in my head.
- She lay in bed counting sheep until she drifted off.
like sheep
1/lˈaɪk ʃˈip/
fixed phrase
In an unquestioning group-following way
When people act together without thinking for themselves.
Examples
- The crowd moved forward like sheep.
- They all agreed without discussion, like sheep.
black sheep (of the family)
1/blˈæk ʃˈip əv ðə fˈæmɪli/
idiom
informal
Family member who is an outcast or disgrace
A person who is very different from others in their family and seen as bad or causing shame.
Examples
- He's always been the black sheep of the family because he refused to join the family business.
- In school, she felt like the black sheep among her classmates.
black sheep (of the family)
2/blˈæk ʃˈip əv ðə fˈæmɪli/
idiom
Outcast or disreputable family member
A person in a family or group who is different in a bad way or causes shame.
Examples
- He's the black sheep of the family because he refuses to work.
- She felt like the black sheep among her friends.