horde

American  

[hawrd, hohrd] / hɔrd, hoʊrd /

noun

1. a large group, multitude, number, etc.; a mass or crowd.

   a horde of tourists.

   Synonyms:

   throng, herd, mob

2. a tribe or troop of Asian nomads.

3. any nomadic group.

4. a moving pack or swarm of animals.

   A horde of mosquitoes invaded the camp.

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verb (used without object)

horded, hording

1. to gather in a horde.

   The prisoners horded together in the compound.

horde British  

/ hɔːd /

noun

1. a vast crowd; throng; mob

2. a local group of people in a nomadic society

3. a nomadic group of people, esp an Asiatic group

4. a large moving mass of animals, esp insects

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verb

1. (intr) to form, move in, or live in a horde

Usage

What’s the difference between horde and hoard? Horde is a noun referring to a large group or mob of people, especially one considered in a negative way, as in I’d rather avoid the hordes of tourists. Hoard is a verb meaning to accumulate things and closely guard them, often in a greedy or excessive way, as in Dragons are known for hoarding treasure. It can also be used as a noun to collectively refer to the things that have been accumulated, as in a hoard of treasure. The word horde is also used in a more specific way to refer to a group of nomads. It is especially associated with the Mongol army of the 1200s (sometimes known as the Golden Horde). Horde can also be a verb, meaning to gather or move in a horde, but this use is much less common. Both words often relate to large groups, but a hoard is an accumulation of items, while a horde is a group of people (or animals). To remember which spelling to use, remember that nomadic hordes sometimes travel on horses. The word hoard, on the other hand, hoards the letter A all for itself. Here’s an example of horde and hoard used correctly in a sentence. Example: A horde of invaders sacked the city and looted the royal treasure hoard. Want to learn more? Read the full breakdown of the difference between hoard and horde.

Etymology

Origin of horde

First recorded in 1545–55; earlier also hord, horda, ultimately from Czech, Polish horda, from Ukrainian dialect gordá, Ukrainian ordá, Old Russian (originally in the phrase Zolotaya orda “the Golden Horde”), via Mongolian or directly from Turkic ordu, orda “royal residence or camp” (later, “any military encampment, army”); cf. Urdu

Explanation

Use the word horde to describe a large crowd: “A horde of people followed the pop star as he left the airport in Helsinki.” The noun horde is not for the sedate — the word typically is used to describe a group that is in motion, maybe even a little unruly, such as a horde of fans pursuing a film star or a horde of ants invading a picnic. If you are describing a calm, orderly gathering, the word group or crowd may be a better choice. You can save horde for the next time you need to describe, for example, your experience at a pre-Christmas sale (“A horde of holiday shoppers rushed toward the last discounted television set”).

Example Sentences

Delroy Lindo recently earned his first Academy Award nomination for his role in “Sinners” as Delta Slim, a blues musician who helps fight a vampire horde in a Mississippi juke joint.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 3, 2026

Despite relatively robust fundamentals and a horde of backers on Wall Street, the stock is down 27% in 2026.

From Barron's • Mar. 3, 2026

This isn’t the first time unusual weather has spawned a mosquito horde in the region during what should be the insect’s offseason.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 27, 2026

In the fall of 2015, a horde of lawyers from across the country descended on Las Vegas and beelined for the Bellagio Resort and Casino.

From Slate • Jan. 13, 2026

Mangefur, Scumnose and Frogblood considered rats to be the elite of Cluny’s horde.

From "Redwall" by Brian Jacques

Related Words

• crowd
• crush
• gang
• mob
• multitude
• swarm