noun

hoard

hawd

noun

A hidden store of valuable things, often kept secretly.

"The pirates buried their hoard of gold on a remote island."

"She kept a secret hoard of chocolate in her desk drawer."

verb

To collect and store up, often more than is needed, usually out of anxiety or greed.

"During the shortage, some people began to hoard toilet paper."

How to Use Hoard

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA secret stash of valuables, or the act of stockpiling more of something than you need.

Common mistake

Don't confuse with "horde", a large crowd or group of people — they sound identical but mean very different things.

Easily confused with

horde →

Common pairings

hoard supplies a hoard of treasure hoard cash

hoarded past tense, hoards plural, hoards plural, Hoards plural, hoards singular

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Test yourself on “hoard” A quick quiz — meaning, synonyms & usage →

Can you complete this real example?

The pirates buried their _____ of gold on a remote island.

From Old English hord ("treasure, stored-up wealth"), from a Germanic root ultimately meaning "something hidden".

engross uphoard

declutter

amass finalize

board aboard onboard keyboard cupboard outboard seaboard backboard starboard cardboard surfboard clipboard

engross uphoard declutter amass finalize