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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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.
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. )
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.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The park service planned to use visitor feedback and research to guide how reservations would be rolled out in 2025.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
And it involves careful assembly, simplified by the free guide supplied with the kit.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
The central bank will also not be armed with new forecasts this week to guide its decisions.
From Barron's ● Jul. 20, 2026
WSJ | Buy Side: Check out our guide to some of the top high-net-worth advisers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 19, 2026
Could it be that the cub was his guide?
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
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
The new study indicates that most people remain well below that level, even when following standard healthy eating recommendations such as the NHS Eatwell Guide.
From Science Daily ● Jun. 19, 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
Anastasia, who has a background in banking and is trained in holistic coaching, also uses the opportunity to promote her Snack Tin Guide, which teaches people how to stash their personal itty-bitty snack tins.
From Salon ● May 17, 2026
The girls and their mother made regular appearances in the social column of the Norfolk Journal and Guide, the model of an upwardly mobile and professional black family.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
Keeping it that way requires vigilance on the bench—and in the classrooms and reference guides behind it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
Across different cultures, they have been viewed as everything from mystical guides that help lost travelers find their way home to ominous creatures associated with bad luck.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 11, 2026
There are so many different apps, guides and types of meditation out there.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2026
Once, video games came with lots of physical goodies, such as guides, maps and manuals.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
The guides led them to Dumbo, where they jumped ahead in line.
From "Millionaires for the Month" by Stacey McAnulty
AMP has guided to a 1H underlying net profit of A$170 million-A$180 million.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026
Having led Spain to a Nations League triumph in 2023 and Euro 2024 glory, he has now guided them to the World Cup final.
From BBC ● Jul. 15, 2026
Examples include the "study mode" built into OpenAI's ChatGPT, or "guided learning" in Google's Gemini.
From Barron's ● Jul. 15, 2026
Attendees also gathered for guided bird-watching along the bike path by the water.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
When my mind strayed far from serious concerns, it was you who guided it back down the correct path.
From "The Invention of Science" by David Wootton
His one wicket was crucial – Brook guiding to slip.
From BBC ● Jul. 14, 2026
Management is guiding for stable-to-improving return on equity, driven by a stronger focus on higher-return businesses, while maintaining cost discipline with a cost-to-income ratio in the low- to mid-40%, the analyst notes.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
He won three more in Los Angeles in 1959, 1963 and 1965 while also guiding them to the World Series in 1966 and 1974.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2026
Bloom in April hiked its full-year outlook, guiding for revenue of $3.4 billion to $3.8 billion, up from a prior range of $3.1 billion to $3.3 billion.
From Barron's ● Jul. 1, 2026
It wasn’t power she felt, guiding the tiller, but purpose.
From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt
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.
