guru

[goor-oo, goo-roo]

noun

1. Hinduism.,  a preceptor giving personal religious instruction.

2. an intellectual or spiritual guide or leader.

3. any person who counsels or advises; mentor.

   The elder senator was her political guru.

4. a leader in a particular field.

   the city's cultural gurus.

guru

/ ˈɡuːruː, ˈɡʊruː /

noun

1. a Hindu or Sikh religious teacher or leader, giving personal spiritual guidance to his disciples

2. derogatory,  a leader or chief theoretician of a movement, esp a spiritual or religious cult

3. facetious,  a leading authority in a particular field

   a cricketing guru

guru

1. In Hinduism, a teacher or spiritual leader.

By extension, a “guru” is a teacher who attracts disciples or followers.

Other Word Forms

• guruship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of guru¹

1820–30; < Hindi gurū < Sanskrit guru venerable, weighty

Word History and Origins

Origin of guru¹

C17: from Hindi gurū, from Sanskrit guruh weighty

Example Sentences

Among those characters is a damaged male self-help guru played by Tom Cruise in a big-swing performance he has never quite topped before or since.

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Combine “There Will Be Blood’s” voracious oil baron and “The Master’s” manipulative spiritual guru with this movie’s America-first nativists and you have Anderson’s unholy trinity of characters who have corrupted our founders’ ideals.

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Incidentally, one big name has already thrown her hat in the ring: Lifestyle guru Martha Stewart took to social media after the couple's engagement announcement to offer up her services.

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Polling guru Prof Sir John Curtice has said the party "poses a significant threat to the Conservatives and Labour's prospects at Holyrood too".

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It was then that she happened across a glamorous spiritual guru.

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Related Words

• master 
• teacher 
• tutor