guru

noun

gu·ru | \ ˈgu̇r-(ˌ)ü ,

ˈgü-(ˌ)rü also gə-ˈrü \

plural gurus

Definition of guru

1 : a personal religious teacher and spiritual guide in Hinduism

2a : a teacher and especially intellectual guide in matters of fundamental concern has been a guru to many young writers

b : one who is an acknowledged leader or chief proponent became the guru of the movement

c : a person with knowledge or expertise : expert a computer guru

Synonyms & Antonyms Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about guru

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Did You Know?

In Hinduism, a guru is a personal spiritual teacher. In ancient India, knowledge of the Vedas (a body of liturgical literature) was transmitted orally from guru to pupil. The rise of the bhakti movement, which emphasizes the love of devotees for a personal god, further increased the importance of gurus, who were often looked on as living embodiments of spiritual truth and were identified with the deity. Gurus prescribe spiritual disciplines to their devotees, who follow their dictates in a tradition of service and obedience. Men or women may be gurus, though generally only men have established lineages.

Examples of guru in a Sentence

He has been a guru to many young writers. She's a self-proclaimed financial guru. Fitness gurus call it the hottest new exercise trend of the year.

Recent Examples on the Web

Unfortunately this is a guru, tech genius, scientist who uses his wealth and power for nefarious means. — Samantha Powell, The Cut, "Sorry to Bother You’s Costume Designer on Dressing Tessa Thompson," 10 July 2018 Tom Brady’s shady training guru, Alex Guerrero, was quick to distance himself in the hours after Edelman’s failed test became public (Edelman is a TB12 client). — Dan Shaughnessy, BostonGlobe.com, "Will we ever know what PED Julian Edelman took?," 6 July 2018 Having worked in wellness media for six years, my feed is curated around exercise companies and lifestyle brands, fitfluencers and self-love gurus, all promising better health, more happiness. — Amy Keller Laird, SELF, "Wellness Instagram Is Actually Bringing Me Down," 21 June 2018 In a different universe, a player with his basketball IQ might have become an analyst, coach, or guru, dispensing wisdom. — Chris Ballard, SI.com, "Draymond Before Draymond: The Complicated Legacy of Dennis Rodman," 6 June 2018 Filled with Polaroids snapped by the famous makeup guru, the budding artist recreated Marais’ many looks on his friends. — Amber Kallor, Allure, "How Makeup Artist Thomas de Kluyver Turned His Club Days Into a Major Career," 4 June 2018 And then there’s the women’s collective led by the daughter of disgraced diet gurus, Verena Baptist (Robin Weigert). — Lorraine Ali, latimes.com, "Why Marti Noxon's 'Dietland' is the right show for the #MeToo moment," 4 June 2018 Four rupees mean one Tenali Raman book with its useful stories on how to outwit kings, gurus, and men. — Aaron Gilbreath, Longreads, "‘Choose Marriage or Education’," 29 May 2018 Among American snake enthusiasts, Stephen Mackessy is known as a venom guru. — Kyle Dickman, Outside Online, "A Rattle with Death in Yosemite," 20 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'guru.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.