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• guide
  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
  Guide

  noun

  (sometimes not capital) a member of an organization for girls equivalent to the Scouts

guide

American  

[gahyd] / gaɪd /

verb (used with object)

• guides,
  present (3rd person singular)
• guided,
  past participle,  past
• guiding
  present participle

1. 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.

   Synonyms:

   escort, steer, pilot

   Antonyms:

   follow

2. to accompany (a sightseer) to show points of interest and to explain their meaning or significance.

3. to force (a person, object, or animal) to move in a certain path.

4. to supply (a person) with advice or counsel, as in practical or spiritual affairs.

5. to supervise (someone's actions or affairs) in an advisory capacity.

   Synonyms:

   rule, govern, manage, regulate

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noun

• guides
  plural

1. a person who guides, especially one hired to guide travelers, tourists, hunters, etc.

   Synonyms:

   conductor, director, pilot

2. a mark, tab, or the like, to catch the eye and thus provide quick reference.

   Synonyms:

   clue, key, indication, signal, sign

3. a guidebook.

4. a book, pamphlet, etc., giving information, instructions, or advice; handbook.

   an investment guide.

5. a guidepost.

6. a device that regulates or directs progressive motion or action.

   a sewing-machine guide.

7. a spirit believed to direct the utterances of a medium.

8. 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

1. to lead the way for (a person)

2. to control the movement or course of (an animal, vehicle, etc) by physical action; steer

3. to supervise or instruct (a person)

4. (tr) to direct the affairs of (a person, company, nation, etc)

   he guided the country through the war

5. (tr) to advise or influence (a person) in his standards or opinions

   let truth guide you always

---

noun

1. 1. a person, animal, or thing that guides

   2. ( as modifier )

      a guide dog

2. a person, usually paid, who conducts tour expeditions, etc

3. a model or criterion, as in moral standards or accuracy

4. See guidebook

5. a book that instructs or explains the fundamentals of a subject or skill

   a guide to better living

6. any device that directs the motion of a tool or machine part

7. 1. a mark, sign, etc, that points the way

   2. ( in combination )

      guidepost

8. spiritualism a spirit believed to influence a medium so as to direct what he utters and convey messages through him

9. 1. navy a ship in a formation used as a reference for manoeuvres, esp with relation to maintaining the correct formation and disposition

   2. military a soldier stationed to one side of a column or line to regulate alignment, show the way, etc

Guide ² British  

/ ɡaɪd /

noun

1. US equivalent: Girl Scout.  (sometimes not capital) a member of an organization for girls equivalent to the Scouts

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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

• guider
  noun
• preguide
  verb (used with object)
• reguide
  verb (used with object)
• guidable
  adjective
• guideless
  adjective
• guiding
  adjective
• nonguidable
  adjective
• unguidable
  adjective
• guidingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• guides
  plural

Participles

• guiding
  present
• guided
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• guide
  simple
• guides
  simple
• have guided
  perfect
• has guided
  perfect
• am guiding
  progressive
• are guiding
  progressive
• is guiding
  progressive
• have been guiding
  perfect progressive
• has been guiding
  perfect progressive

Past

• guided
  simple
• had guided
  perfect
• was guiding
  progressive
• were guiding
  progressive
• had been guiding
  perfect progressive

Future

• will guide
  simple
• will have guided
  perfect
• will be guiding
  progressive
• will have been guiding
  perfect progressive

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.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

guide Guide guides guided guiding

The best destinations for extreme adventures have the natural landscape to support them, as well as reputable and safe guide services.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

"Normally, we guide around 20 pilots over the course of an hour. But right now, 40 are in the queue. Inevitably, delays build up," she lamented.

From Barron's ● Aug. 23, 2026

Later, a tour guide brings them through Independence Hall.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 21, 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

“But I’m lucky to have such strong parents to guide me through.”

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

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

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

Guest: Cory Doctorow, sci-fi author, journalist, blogger and author of “The Reverse Centaur’s Guide to Life After AI.”

From Slate ● Jun. 26, 2026

Prior to his TV career, Shalit was a senior film critic for Look Magazine, and continued to spend years penning columns in the New York Times, Ladies' Home Journal and TV Guide.

From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026

The Hillside advertised in the Norfolk Journal and Guide, the Pittsburgh Courier, and Ebony; with its swimming pool and expansive 109-acre estate, it delivered on its promise of understated luxury.

From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly

From there it takes around five hours to reach the peak and a further three hours to get down, climbing guides suggest.

From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026

“The guides said they were grateful to finally see visitors returning,” she said.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

Like other tour guides, Giusto always urges tourists to stay hydrated, wear a hat and sunscreen.

From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026

For the full year, Paramount now guides for adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization of $3.8 billion to $3.9 billion, up from a prior outlook of $3.8 billion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026

This book guides professionals to work through music, harnessing the processes that underlie music learning, and outlining developmentally appropriate methods to understand the role of music in children’s lives through play, games, creativity, and movement.

From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin

Moab, in Utah, and other global destinations are expanding their tourism industries to offer guided extreme adventures to people of all skill levels.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026

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 market’s quants, or process-driven traders and funds guided by algos, endured one of their worst days in recent memory on Wednesday when bets against certain stocks backfired.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

Nico took Hazel’s arm and guided her out of earshot.

From "The House of Hades" by Rick Riordan

Specific regions of DNA help coordinate this process, guiding the production of enzymes, hormones, proteins, and other molecules that cells need to function properly.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026

"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

She has already begun guiding the next generation under MVP, managing talents like Krista Rosado and Alexis Chaparro.

From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026

“That’s kind of my guiding light: How do you stay original and authentic and meaningful, so that the person who cares about you now cares about you in the future?”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026

I remembered his hand on my shoulder, guiding me on our bicycles through the blacked-out streets to Pickwick’s.

From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom

Related Words

• accompany
• advise
• educate
• escort
• govern
• handle
• influence
• instruct
• manage
• maneuver
• navigate
• oversee
• regulate
• see
• shepherd
• steer
• supervise
• sway
• teach
• train