guide
verb (used with object)
to assist (a person) to travel through, or reach a destination in, an unfamiliar area, as by accompanying or giving directions to the person.
guide
American
[gahyd]
/ gaɪd /
verb (used with object)
-
guides,
present (3rd person singular)
-
guided,
past participle, past
-
guiding
present participle
-
to assist (a person) to travel through, or reach a destination in, an unfamiliar area, as by accompanying or giving directions to the person.
He guided us through the forest.
- Antonyms:
- follow
-
to accompany (a sightseer) to show points of interest and to explain their meaning or significance.
-
to force (a person, object, or animal) to move in a certain path.
-
to supply (a person) with advice or counsel, as in practical or spiritual affairs.
-
to supervise (someone's actions or affairs) in an advisory capacity.
noun
-
guides
plural
-
a person who guides, especially one hired to guide travelers, tourists, hunters, etc.
-
a mark, tab, or the like, to catch the eye and thus provide quick reference.
- Synonyms:
- clue, key, indication, signal, sign
-
a guidebook.
-
a book, pamphlet, etc., giving information, instructions, or advice; handbook.
an investment guide.
-
a guidepost.
-
a device that regulates or directs progressive motion or action.
a sewing-machine guide.
-
a spirit believed to direct the utterances of a medium.
-
Military. a member of a group marching in formation who sets the pattern of movement or alignment for the rest.
guide
1
British
/ ɡaɪd /
verb
-
to lead the way for (a person)
-
to control the movement or course of (an animal, vehicle, etc) by physical action; steer
-
to supervise or instruct (a person)
-
(tr) to direct the affairs of (a person, company, nation, etc)
he guided the country through the war
-
(tr) to advise or influence (a person) in his standards or opinions
let truth guide you always
noun
-
-
a person, animal, or thing that guides
-
( as modifier )
a guide dog
-
-
a person, usually paid, who conducts tour expeditions, etc
-
a model or criterion, as in moral standards or accuracy
-
See guidebook
-
a book that instructs or explains the fundamentals of a subject or skill
a guide to better living
-
any device that directs the motion of a tool or machine part
-
-
a mark, sign, etc, that points the way
-
( in combination )
guidepost
-
-
spiritualism a spirit believed to influence a medium so as to direct what he utters and convey messages through him
-
-
navy a ship in a formation used as a reference for manoeuvres, esp with relation to maintaining the correct formation and disposition
-
military a soldier stationed to one side of a column or line to regulate alignment, show the way, etc
-
Guide
2
British
/ ɡaɪd /
noun
Usage
What are other ways to say guide?
To guide someone is to assist them in traveling through or in reaching a destination by accompanying them or giving them directions. How does guide compare to synonyms conduct, direct, and lead? Find out on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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guidernoun
-
preguideverb (used with object)
-
reguideverb (used with object)
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guidableadjective
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guidelessadjective
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guidingadjective
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nonguidableadjective
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unguidableadjective
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guidinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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guidesimple
-
guidessimple
-
have guidedperfect
-
has guidedperfect
-
am guidingprogressive
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are guidingprogressive
-
is guidingprogressive
-
have been guidingperfect progressive
-
has been guidingperfect progressive
Past
-
guidedsimple
-
had guidedperfect
-
was guidingprogressive
-
were guidingprogressive
-
had been guidingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of guide
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English giden (verb), gide (noun), from Old French gui(d)er (verb), gui(d)e (noun), from Germanic; akin to wit 2 ( def. )
Explanation
A guide is someone who shows you the way. You'd be lucky to have a kind older sibling to act as your guide through middle school, giving you advice and helping you figure out the school and social scenes. A guide often leads tourists through a city, taking them to important sites, or assists a group of mountain climbers. Another kind of guide is a book of helpful instructions about what to see in a particular country, how to get along with your teenager, or the best way to grow orchids. When you guide people, you help them find their way, whether it's through the New York subway system or through the steps of building a campfire.
Vocabulary lists containing guide
TEKS ELAR Academic Vocabulary List (5th-7th grades)
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Motherlode: A Mother's Day Lexicon
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Common Five-letter Words for Wordle, List 5
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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.
See Examples For:
And it’s about to get even better, if history is any guide.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 22, 2026
In contrast, the new study reveals a biological pathway that the body naturally uses to control liver inflammation, providing additional clues that could help guide the development of future treatments.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 21, 2026
The inflation task force is led by Greg Mankiw, Thomas Sargent and William White, and could guide how the Fed fights rising prices.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026
As a guide, a home that cost £150,000 to build in 2015 may cost £230,000 now - analysts say those costs could rise by another 15% in the next five years.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
Folks for teach me, understand me, guide me.”
From "Clairboyance" by Kristiana Kahakauwila
The uncanny valley is live for consumption, for free, at No. 300 on the Roku Channel’s Live TV Guide.
From Slate ● Aug. 16, 2026
Shock and grief have hit members of the alpine climbing community with the President of Nepal's National Mountain Guide Association Tul Singh Gurung saying they had "lost a generation of accomplished mountaineers".
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
The charity Guide Dogs welcomed the government's plan.
From BBC ● Jul. 22, 2026
Kathy L. McNair, author of “The Solo Senior’s Guide to Thrive” and an estate-planning attorney in Belmont, Mass., sees this happen frequently among retirees.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 12, 2026
Hi,” said Cedric, picking up a copy of A Guide to Advanced Transfiguration that was now splattered with ink.
From "Harry Potter And The Goblet Of Fire" by J. K. Rowling
Kim guides her team to write frequently on what works and what doesn’t in corporate cybersecurity efforts, from a management and technological viewpoint.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
“The guides said they were grateful to finally see visitors returning,” she said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
Nepal's mountain guides spend each spring leading international clients up Nepal's highest mountains as guides or porters.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
Like other tour guides, Giusto always urges tourists to stay hydrated, wear a hat and sunscreen.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
We step into the creaky vessel and Lizzie guides us to the middle of the little lake.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
He guided the offense on an 80-yard drive to start the game.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
The Dear Merseyside guided classroom resources are designed to encourage young people in schools to have discussions about the devastating impact of violence, recognising criminal exploitation and making positive life choices, Merseyside Police said.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
The company previously guided for earnings of $7.50 to $8.50 a share.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
Among boys, greater participation in guided physical activity from childhood through adolescence was linked to better working memory.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 17, 2026
Miss Priest wrapped Jeremy in her cloak and guided him back into the shop.
From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville
"It serves as a forward-looking strategic platform, guiding our bilateral partnership across all five pillars -- political, economic, maritime, people-to-people, and security."
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
That’s one of the guiding principles behind tai chi, a hundreds-year-old Chinese martial arts practice that today is considered a form of meditative movement.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
The task for advisers is guiding bettors to balance their desire to live in the here-and-now with an appreciation of how present decisions can affect them years from now.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
The company is guiding for $17.9 billion to $18.1 billion in revenue during the current fiscal first quarter, while analysts are forecasting $18.04 billion.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 12, 2026
He tries to be a fly on the wall, and lets us talk among ourselves, giving advice and guiding us only when he needs to.
From "Challenger Deep" by Neal Shusterman
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.
