Sufi

American  

[soo-fee] / ˈsu fi /

noun

Sufis plural

1. a member of an ascetic, mystical Muslim sect.

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adjective

1. of or relating to Sufis or Sufism.

Sufi British  

/ ˈsuːfɪ /

noun

1. an adherent of any of various Muslim mystical orders or teachings, which emphasize the direct personal experience of God

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• Sufic
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• Sufis
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Sufi

First recorded in 1650–55; from Arabic Ṣūfī “(man) of wool,” equivalent to ṣūf “wool” + -ī a suffix indicating relationship or origin; so called from the ascetic woolen clothing the Sufis wore

Example Sentences

Muslims ruled large parts of India from the early 13th to the 19th century, and during this era Muslim preachers and Sufi mystics actively proselytized for Islam.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

"He's conscious. I don't know whether he'll be admitted or not for now. That's still too early to say," Sufi Yusoff told AFP.

From Barron's • Jan. 6, 2026

The whirling Sufi dervishes have known for ages that dance is spiritual.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 12, 2025

Minority groups like the Sufi Muslims say they are also witnessing increasing attacks on their places of worship.

From BBC • Feb. 18, 2025

The generic rubric ‘theists’ covers Jewish rabbis from eighteenth-century Poland, witch-burning Puritans from seventeenth-century Massachusetts, Aztec priests from fifteenth-century Mexico, Sufi mystics from twelfth-century Iran, tenth-century Viking warriors, second-century Roman legionnaires, and first-century Chinese bureaucrats.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari