guest
noun
a person who spends some time at another person's home in some social activity, as a visit, dinner, or party.
guest
1 American
[gest]
/ gɛst /
noun
-
guests
plural
-
a person who spends some time at another person's home in some social activity, as a visit, dinner, or party.
- Synonyms:
- company
-
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)
-
guests,
present (3rd person singular)
-
guested,
past participle, past
-
guesting
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
guests,
present (3rd person singular)
-
guested,
past participle, past
-
guesting
present participle
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.
Guest
2
American
[gest]
/ gɛst /
noun
guest
British
/ 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 another
a 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
-
informal do as you like
verb
guest
Idioms
Synonym Usage
See visitor.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
guestsimple
-
guestssimple
-
have guestedperfect
-
has guestedperfect
-
am guestingprogressive
-
are guestingprogressive
-
is guestingprogressive
-
have been guestingperfect progressive
-
has been guestingperfect progressive
Past
-
guestedsimple
-
had guestedperfect
-
was guestingprogressive
-
were guestingprogressive
-
had been guestingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
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; host 1, host 2
Explanation
If you invite a friend to your home, she is your guest. You might announce to your parents that you've invited seven guests for Thanksgiving. Someone who's visiting, or who's been asked to come, is a guest. If your next door neighbor comes over for lunch, she's a guest, and every one of the two hundred people you invite to a wedding is also a guest. You're often referred to as a guest when you stay at a hotel, too. The Old English root of guest is gæst, "a stranger" or "an accidental guest."
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.
See Examples For:
“We remain focused on consistent execution across food, service, experience and affordability to strengthen the guest experience and drive sustainable long-term growth,” Spanos said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026
The milquetoast Pod Save America boys made him a recurring guest; California Gov. Gavin Newsom vowed to drop by the stream.
From Slate ● Nov. 4, 2026
At the Eckhaus Latta party, there was also a guest appearance by mayoral hopeful Nithya Raman, dressed up as a cat.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026
However, the home does include a generously-sized guest suite.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026
“A guest! A guest in my gates and I have offered her no refreshment!”
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
Guest rooms include zebra-print wallpaper and faux alligator-skin panels.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
Guest: Alex Kirshner, Slate contributing writer and co-host of the college football podcast Split Zone Duo.
From Slate ● Oct. 1, 2026
However, Guest warns striving for a sculpted stomach could "feed into people's insecurities".
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
Still, Foley, whose provocative reads include “The Guest List” and “The Paris Apartment,” had to follow ground rules for the conservative Miss Marple: The character couldn’t be young.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
Mrs. Guest stuck her head back in the cloakroom and said, “I will be right outside. I want no talking and no moving about.”
From "Elijah of Buxton" by Christopher Paul Curtis
So he framed the rooms around a nightclub, a pool, a massive rooftop park, three dining and entertainment spaces and a lobby with ample options for guests to lounge.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 3, 2026
Called the Pizookie, the giant, deep-dish cookie draws new and repeat diners, particularly younger guests, finance chief Todd Wilson told me.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 2, 2026
The changes have come as a relief to guests like Jessica Newhook, who says she has been faced with lengthy checkout lists, often on top of hefty cleaning fees.
From BBC ● Nov. 1, 2026
It’s designed to honor the memory of cherished animal companions that have passed away, and all Zoo guests may participate.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 1, 2026
The guests were to arrive at half past twelve.
From "The Interrupted Tale" by Maryrose Wood
Gorsuch spoke at the presidential libraries of Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan and guested on Firing Line, a PBS opinion show hosted by the conservative commentator Margaret Hoover.
From Slate ● Oct. 4, 2024
He recently guested on Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” and Taylor Swift’s “The Tortured Poets Department,” and he joined fellow Stagecoach 2024 performers Morgan Wallen and Hardy at the CMA Awards in November for a country medley.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 28, 2024
"Richard Belzer was one of the most kindest and welcoming actors when I guested on two episodes of Law and Order: SVU," tweeted Marlee Matlin.
From Salon ● Feb. 19, 2023
London has frequently collaborated with the artist now known as Ye, who produced and guested on 2014′s “Vibes.”
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 4, 2023
Sansa remembered Lord Yohn Royce, who had guested at Winterfell two years before.
From "A Game of Thrones" by George R.R. Martin
She reminded the men that the panel they were guesting on had nothing to do with foreign policy.
From Slate ● Nov. 19, 2025
They also appeared regularly on television, making specials and guesting on various shows.
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 7, 2024
“My day was always better for having passed through the Earwolf studios, whether it’s hosting or guesting, whatever.”
From The Verge ● Mar. 22, 2022
Smart, 69, has three Emmys — two for guesting on “Frasier” and another for a supporting turn on “Samantha Who?”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2021
And since his own lord had exiled him and his story went before him, none would take him in, but after the three days’ guesting all sent him from their doors as an outlaw.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
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