P. E. James
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While herald the verb is more common today, herald the noun is older. When the word was first used in the early 14th century, it referred to an official at a tournament (one of those knightly sporting events the Middle Ages are famous for); the herald's duties included making announcements, hence the word's uses relating to announcements, literal and metaphorical. The word is ultimately Germanic in origin, coming from a long-lost word that can be translated as "one directing or having authority over a body of armed men," though like so many words of 14th century vintage, it came to English by way of Anglo-French. The resemblance between herald and the name Harold is not coincidental: Harold is a modern form of Chariovalda, the name of a 1st century C.E. leader of the Batavi, a tribe who lived on the lower Rhine. The Germanic source of Chariovalda, turned into a generic noun, is also the source of herald.
Synonyms
Examples of herald in a Sentence
Hanako Montgomery, CNN, 30 Mar. 2024
The Silver Surfer was introduced in in Fantastic Four No. 48 as the herald of Galactus, a planet-eating entity, though that version of the Surfer was an alien astronomer known as Norrin Radd.
—Borys Kit, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Apr. 2024
In fact, this black herald of the dawn of the Soviet experiment didn’t appear in Russia until 1988, in the fading dusk of the U.S.S.R.
—Benjamin Kunkel, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024
Vibe: From the herald angel in the back corner to the walls that appear to be covered in wrapping paper, this place bleeds Christmas.
—Fritz Hahn, Washington Post, 6 Dec. 2023
The monarch then took part in the procession that includes heralds, Great Officers of State and members of the Royal Household.
—Stephanie Petit, Peoplemag, 7 Nov. 2023
How did the Beer Hall Putsch herald Hitler’s rise to power?
When Hitler was released from prison in December 1924, he was banned from giving speeches in much of Germany.
—Ellen Wexler, Smithsonian Magazine, 8 Nov. 2023
Tuesday's glam night in Singapore saw stars like actress Cate Blanchett, Ted Lasso star Hannah Waddingham and Emmy award-winning actor and producer Sterling K. Brown herald the next wave of environmentalists and businesses who have some of the answers to the planet's most pressing problems.
—Simon Perry, Peoplemag, 7 Nov. 2023
As the herald of Galactus, this sleek silver being skims through the universe, dodging meteors, while riding his shiny surfboard.
—Michael Dirda, Washington Post, 8 Sep. 2023
Alison Dirr, Journal Sentinel, 16 Apr. 2024
In 2019, the opening of Four Seasons Astir Palace Hotel set out to revive the glamorous spirit of this bygone era on that same plot of paradise, successfully heralding a new experience of luxury for a modern era.
—Monica Mendal, Vogue, 15 Apr. 2024
Once a celebrated personality, heralded for his contributions to college and professional football, Simpson's exploits on the field have long been overshadowed by his 1994 arrest.
—Mackenzie Schmidt, Peoplemag, 11 Apr. 2024
World leaders have heralded numbers that have shown reductions in global poverty, but the Vatican argued that this does not take into account rising inequality and the hoarding of wealth by the few.
—Stefano Pitrelli, Washington Post, 8 Apr. 2024
Chinese commentators and state media heralded it as a triumph for Huawei in the face of Washington’s attempts to restrict the company from developing just such technology.
—Tripp Mickle, New York Times, 25 Mar. 2024
This summer heralds an exciting new set of achievements beginning with the reimagination of Nemacolin’s centerpiece hotel, The Chateau.
—Robb Report Studio, Robb Report, 1 Apr. 2024
This niggle left the Dane out of the rapturous 3-0 win over Atletico Madrid at the Metropolitano before international football took over the calendar, in what was widely heralded to be the best performance of the season from Xavi Hernandez's men.
—Tom Sanderson, Forbes, 29 Mar. 2024
After the quiet winter months, spring heralds the return of longer days and gathering over leisurely meals.
—Lidey Heuck, New York Times, 29 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'herald.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Herald.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/herald. Accessed 23 Apr. 2024.
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