guest

[ gest ]

/ gɛst /

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noun

a person who spends some time at another person's home in some social activity, as a visit, dinner, or party.

a person who receives the hospitality of a club, a city, or the like.

a person who patronizes a hotel, restaurant, etc., for the lodging, food, or entertainment it provides.

an often well-known person invited to participate or perform in a regular program, series, etc., as a substitute for a regular member or as a special attraction.

Zoology. an inquiline.

verb (used with object)

to entertain as a guest.

verb (used without object)

to be a guest; make an appearance as a guest: She's been guesting on all the TV talk shows.

adjective

provided for or done by a guest: a guest towel; a guest column for a newspaper.

participating or performing as a guest: a guest conductor.

OTHER WORDS FOR guest

1 company.

See synonyms for guest on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

TAKE THE QUIZ TO FIND OUT

Origin of guest

First recorded before 900; Middle English gest, from Old Norse gestr; replacing Old English gi(e)st; cognate with German Gast,Gothic gasts,Latin hostis;cf. host¹, host²

synonym study for guest

1. See visitor.

OTHER WORDS FROM guest

guestless, adjective

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH guest

guessed, guest

Words nearby guest

Guesde, guess, guess again, guesstimate, guesswork, guest, guest beer, guestbook, guest editor, guest flag, guesthouse

Other definitions for guest (2 of 2)

Guest

[ gest ]

/ gɛst /

noun

Edgar A(lbert), 1881–1959, U.S. journalist and writer of verse, born in England.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use guest in a sentence

Some of the best ice picks for home use are designed to add elegance and a unique flair to your personal bar—whether you’re staying in or entertaining guests.
Best ice pick: A versatile winter tool for camping and more|PopSci Commerce Team|February 25, 2021|Popular-Science
It would also provide an unlimited number of licenses for home-sharing operations, where the homeowner remains on site, and for both whole-home and home-sharing hosts who welcome guests fewer than 20 days a year.
Morning Report: Farewell to a San Diego Special|Voice of San Diego|February 24, 2021|Voice of San Diego
Both the new POS integration and guest profiles support targeted marketing opportunities, the Yelp announcement reads.
Yelp’s Waitlist, analytics and POS updates aim to address shifting consumer preferences|George Nguyen|February 23, 2021|Search Engine Land
The show, which first aired in 1976 and featured characters like Kermit the Frog interacting with celebrity guests, did, on occasion, include some content a modern audience might find questionable.
Adding content warnings to the Muppets is the opposite of cancel culture|Adam Epstein|February 22, 2021|Quartz

Throughout February, Martell and Civil are hosting weekly Clubhouse conversations with guests such as beauty brand owner Supa Cent, Lush Yummies Pie CEO Jennifer Lyle, founder of Girl CEO Ronne Brown, and entrepreneur Premadonna.
‘Because it’s so new and fresh’: It took a minute, but brands are in the Clubhouse app|Seb Joseph|February 22, 2021|Digiday
And then I met him before I started doing the impression of him when he was a guest on SNL for a moment.
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness|Marlow Stern|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Al Qaeda has never managed to carve out a large chunk of real estate to call its own—in Afghanistan it was a guest of the Taliban.
ISIS’s Futile Quest to Go Legit|Jamie Dettmer|January 5, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Despite an impressive celebrity guest-list and the extraordinary garments on show, the event failed to make newspaper front pages.
I Got Kicked Out Of The Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show|Nico Hines|December 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
That explains the impressive roster of guest stars the series has racked up of politicians playing themselves.
Inside the Political Fun House: How ‘Alpha House’ Became Amazon’s First Big Hit|Kevin Fallon|October 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Rachel Maddow, too, apparently impresses in her upcoming season two guest turn.
Inside the Political Fun House: How ‘Alpha House’ Became Amazon’s First Big Hit|Kevin Fallon|October 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I never dare venture over except as the guest of some more fortunate friend.
Ancestors|Gertrude Atherton
Not a week passed which did not find the former, once, twice, or three times a guest at the proud man's table.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
When Stanhope entered to him, he found his guest lying on a sofa, in a high state of fever, both from his wounds and agitation.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
In such a case, he may go to the house of the noble Spaniard who was his uncle's guest at Lindisfarne.
The Pastor's Fire-side Vol. 3 of 4|Jane Porter
Certainly, my son; it is always proper to offer food to a guest who takes refuge under our roof.
Our Little Korean Cousin|H. Lee M. Pike

British Dictionary definitions for guest

guest

/ (ɡɛst) /

noun

a person who is entertained, taken out to eat, etc, and paid for by another

a person who receives hospitality at the home of anothera weekend guest
(as modifier)the guest room

a person who receives the hospitality of a government, establishment, or organization
(as modifier)a guest speaker

an actor, contestant, entertainer, etc, taking part as a visitor in a programme in which there are also regular participants
(as modifier)a guest appearance

a patron of a hotel, boarding house, restaurant, etc

zoology a nontechnical name for inquiline

be my guest informal do as you like

verb

(intr) (in theatre and broadcasting) to be a guestto guest on a show

Word Origin for guest

Old English giest guest, stranger, enemy; related to Old Norse gestr, Gothic gasts, Old High German gast, Old Slavonic gostǐ, Latin hostis enemy

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with guest

guest

see be my guest.

guest

OTHER WORDS FOR guest

Origin of guest

synonym study for guest

OTHER WORDS FROM guest

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH guest

Words nearby guest

Other definitions for guest (2 of 2)

Words related to guest

How to use guest in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for guest

Word Origin for guest

Other Idioms and Phrases with guest