guru

[goor-oo, goo-roo]

noun

1. Hinduism.,  a preceptor giving personal religious instruction.

2. an intellectual or spiritual guide or leader.

3. any person who counsels or advises; mentor.

   The elder senator was her political guru.

4. a leader in a particular field.

   the city's cultural gurus.

guru

/ ˈɡuːruː, ˈɡʊruː /

noun

1. a Hindu or Sikh religious teacher or leader, giving personal spiritual guidance to his disciples

2. derogatory,  a leader or chief theoretician of a movement, esp a spiritual or religious cult

3. facetious,  a leading authority in a particular field

   a cricketing guru

guru

1. In Hinduism, a teacher or spiritual leader.

By extension, a “guru” is a teacher who attracts disciples or followers.

Other Word Forms

• guruship noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of guru¹

1820–30; < Hindi gurū < Sanskrit guru venerable, weighty

Word History and Origins

Origin of guru¹

C17: from Hindi gurū, from Sanskrit guruh weighty

Example Sentences

The success has reiterated how distinguished doubles guru Louis Cayer has transformed the nation's quality and depth through his work at the Lawn Tennis Association.

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We asked six workplace-design gurus to envision how architects and employers will try to fix what irks many workers about the office today:

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Neumann notes that Johnson liked to exclaim: “Kelly is my guru. He’s the greatest lighting designer ever.”

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We broke up within a month, and my life became a California cliche: I joined a cult-like spiritual practice with a glamorous Indian guru.

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Tate’s profile only rose afterward, and he began amassing a following as a self-help guru for young men.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• master 
• teacher 
• tutor