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

At Goldman Sachs’ annual At the Helm event, the bank’s affluent clients dropped and did pushups for a Navy SEAL, unfurled their relationship with wealth guru Sahil Bloom, and strategized legacy with Mindy Kaling. —Emma Burleigh, Fortune, 9 Nov. 2025

Deepak Chopra Wellness guru, author The 79-year-old recently launched a wellness platform offering various meditations, live digital sessions with him and a Deepak Chopra AI chatbot drawing from his decades of writing and talks that users can interact with directly. —Gili Malinsky, CNBC, 8 Nov. 2025

Most claims made by health gurus and social-media influencers are exaggerated. —Jason Liebowitz, The Atlantic, 4 Nov. 2025

Elisabeth Moss plays a former sitcom star who, after losing one too many jobs to younger actresses, comes under the sway of a powerful wellness guru (Kate Hudson) but begins to sense something sinister afoot. —Brian Truitt, USA Today, 31 Oct. 2025

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"