Sufi

American  

[soo-fee] / ˈsu fi /

noun

plural

Sufis

1. a member of an ascetic, mystical Muslim sect.

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adjective

1. of or relating to Sufis or Sufism.

Sufi British  

/ ˈsuːfɪ /

noun

1. an adherent of any of various Muslim mystical orders or teachings, which emphasize the direct personal experience of God

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Other Word Forms

• Sufic
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of Sufi

First recorded in 1650–55; from Arabic Ṣūfī “(man) of wool,” equivalent to ṣūf “wool” + -ī a suffix indicating relationship or origin; so called from the ascetic woolen clothing the Sufis wore

Example Sentences

Bangladesh -- the world's fourth most populous Muslim-majority country -- is home to diverse strands of Islamic practice, including a significant Sufi community often condemned by hardline Islamists.

From Barron's • Dec. 29, 2025

The whirling Sufi dervishes have known for ages that dance is spiritual.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 12, 2025

Bhajan Sopori, who has Kashmiri roots, "deepened its tonal range and infused it with Sufi expression", adds Mr Mir, helping cement the santoor's place in Indian classical music.

From BBC • Jul. 26, 2025

His followers helped bury the dead, and at night they performed zikir, a devotional dance that is an expression of Sufi spirituality.

From New York Times • Jun. 5, 2024

The generic rubric ‘theists’ covers Jewish rabbis from eighteenth-century Poland, witch-burning Puritans from seventeenth-century Massachusetts, Aztec priests from fifteenth-century Mexico, Sufi mystics from twelfth-century Iran, tenth-century Viking warriors, second-century Roman legionnaires, and first-century Chinese bureaucrats.

From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari