Word
Definition
n. a very large group of people or animals that is often noisy or hard to control. You use this word when you want to emphasize how crowded or overwhelming a group feels.
n. a large, often disorganized or unruly group of individuals. Frequently carries a negative or slightly hyperbolic connotation when describing crowds.
Examples
“A horde of tourists blocked the entrance to the museum.”
“Every summer, a horde of shoppers descends on the city center for the annual sales.”
“The peaceful village was suddenly overwhelmed by a horde of reporters seeking a statement from the reclusive author.”
Examples
simple
“A horde of tourists blocked the entrance to the museum.”
contextual
“Every summer, a horde of shoppers descends on the city center for the annual sales.”
complex
“The peaceful village was suddenly overwhelmed by a horde of reporters seeking a statement from the reclusive author.”
Usage
Often used with the preposition 'of' followed by a plural noun.
Pitfall
a gold hoard of people
a horde of people
Learners often confuse 'horde' (a large group) with 'hoard' (a hidden store of money or valued objects).
Real-World Examples
“Normally, the hordes of elementary schoolers would take turns chattering down the hallway to meet and visit their best friends—the senior-citizen residents of the Logan Manor nursing home—during breakfast.” “These open levels are big enough to require a map to navigate and they’re even peppered with side objectives (usually mini horde missions where you hold off waves of enemies after setting up defences).” “Donning the famous yellow-and-black outfit (among others), you hack and slash your way through hordes of enemies.” Etymology
Recorded in English since 1555. From Middle French horde, from German Horde, from Polish horda, from Russian орда́ (ordá, “horde", 'clan, troop'”), probably from Kipchak Turkic (compare Tatar урда (urda, “horde”)), ultimately from Proto-Turkic *ordu (“place of staying of the army, ruler etc.”). Cognates include Turkish ordu (“camp, army”), Mongolian орд (ord, “court, castle, royal compound, camp, horde”) and Kalmyk орда (orda). Doublet of orda and Urdu.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/horde
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0