guru

noun

gu·​ru ˈgu̇r-(ˌ)ü 

ˈgü-(ˌ)rü

also gə-ˈrü

plural gurus

1

: a personal religious teacher and spiritual guide in Hinduism

2

a

: 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

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.

Synonyms of guru

• expert
• master
• scholar
• adept
• wizard
• virtuoso

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

Jontay began to enjoy a reputation in the league as a market guru. — New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2026

Julian Brodsky, a cable TV pioneer and financial guru who was a co-founding partner of Comcast more than 60 years ago, has died. — Todd Spangler, Variety, 6 Nov. 2026

The would-be scammer positions themself as a sort of financial guru, seeking to convince victims that following their advice will insulate their victims from the global financial collapse that is sure to doom most everyone else. — Harmeet Kaur, CNN Money, 3 Nov. 2026

Paul Mitchell, the Democratic data guru who leads the firm, said if the trends hold, turnout would hit 61%, up from 50% in 2022. — Ben Paviour, Sacbee.com, 30 Oct. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Hindi (or another Indo-Aryan vernacular language), borrowed from Sanskrit gurúḥ "highly respected person, teacher, spiritual guide," noun derivative of gurúḥ "heavy, weighty, venerable" — more at grave entry 2

First Known Use

1613, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for guru

• accrue
• ado
• ainu
• aircrew
• airscrew
• anew
• askew
• baboo
• babu
• bamboo
• beaucoup
• bijou

Kids Definition

guru

noun

gu·​ru gə-ˈrü 

ˈgu̇(ə)r-ü

1

: a personal religious teacher and spiritual guide in Hinduism

2

a

: a person that is generally recognized as a leader or teacher

b

: a person with knowledge and expertise : expert

Etymology

from gurū, a word in Hindi (the major language in India) meaning "Hindu teacher or spiritual guide," derived from Sanskrit guru (adjective) "worthy of respect"