guru
Americannoun
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Hinduism. a preceptor giving personal religious instruction.
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an intellectual or spiritual guide or leader.
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any person who counsels or advises; mentor.
The elder senator was her political guru.
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a leader in a particular field.
the city's cultural gurus.
noun
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a Hindu or Sikh religious teacher or leader, giving personal spiritual guidance to his disciples
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derogatory a leader or chief theoretician of a movement, esp a spiritual or religious cult
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facetious a leading authority in a particular field
a cricketing guru
Discover More
By extension, a “guru” is a teacher who attracts disciples or followers.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of guru
1820–30; < Hindi gurū < Sanskrit guru venerable, weighty
Explanation
A guru is a spiritual teacher and leader, particularly in the Hindu and Buddhist traditions. It has been said that your guru will find you when you are ready for your study — your journey — to begin. The noun guru is a Sanskrit word which also means “weighty,” or “grave.” A guru might teach you about meditation and compassion, or how to live your life according to certain precepts and truths. There is also another kind of guru — an expert leader in any field. You can be a guru of accounting or even of pizza-making if you are very good at it and can guide others to greater understanding.
Vocabulary lists containing guru
World Religions
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
There are numerous apps that will show you where you can find the cheapest gas near you — GasBuddy and Gas Guru are among the most popular.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 24, 2026
“I’m going to take that down, and I prefer I take it down in the next five years,” Garrett told Casino Guru News last month.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 5, 2026
He also worked with Guru and The Roots.
From BBC • Mar. 6, 2025
Launched in 2016, the project works with social venture partners TreePlanet and Guru E&T to plant forests around the world, conserving biodiversity and absorbing carbon from the atmosphere.
From National Geographic • Jan. 16, 2024
His name is Ugyen Panyor, and he believes himself to be directly descended from Ugyen Guru Rinpoche, who brought Buddhism to Bhutan thirteen centuries ago.
From "Confessions of a Murder Suspect" by James Patterson
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
