guest

guest — noun

1. someone you ask to come to your home or to a social gathering that you are hosti

1.nounA1
Definition

someone you ask to come to your home or to a social gathering that you are hosting

Example

Esteban brought a bottle of wine when he came as a guest to dinner.

guest + at + event (dinner)

The hotel can seat up to two hundred wedding guests in its main hall.

modifier before guest (wedding guests)

Common collocations
  • wedding guest
  • dinner guest
  • house guest
  • welcome guest
  • guest of honour
Synonyms
  • visitor

    broader term; does not imply an invitation

  • invitee

    formal; focuses on the act of being invited

Antonyms
  • host

    the person who invites and receives the guest

Grammar Patterns

guest + of + person

guest + at + event

Usage Note

A guest is someone who has been invited. A 'visitor' may arrive without an invitation. The phrase 'be my guest' means 'please go ahead' when giving permission.

Common Mistakes

I had a guest come to my door selling magazines.
I had a visitor come to my door selling magazines.
A 'guest' is someone you invited; a 'visitor' is anyone who comes to see you.

2. someone using a hotel, restaurant, bar, or café as a paying customer

2.nounA2
Definition

someone using a hotel, restaurant, bar, or café as a paying customer

Example

Hotel guests can use the swimming pool and fitness centre free of charge.

modifier before guest (hotel guests)

The waiter asked each guest whether they wanted still or sparkling water.

Common collocations
  • hotel guest
  • restaurant guest
  • honoured guest
  • guest room
  • guest services
Synonyms
  • customer

    more transactional; focuses on payment

  • patron

    more formal; suggests regular or supportive use

Antonyms
  • host

    the business or person providing the service

Grammar Patterns

hotel/restaurant + guest

guest + of + establishment

Usage Note

In hospitality settings (hotels, inns), 'guest' is preferred over 'customer' because it implies a relationship of welcome and service, not just a transaction.

Common Mistakes

The restaurant guest paid with a credit card.
The restaurant customer paid with a credit card.
In restaurants, 'customer' is more common for the person paying, though 'guest' is also used.

3. anybody allowed temporary access to a club, website, or organisation without bei

3.nounB1
Definition

anybody allowed temporary access to a club, website, or organisation without being an official member

Example

Non-members can visit the sports club as guests for a small daily fee.

as + guest (role construction)

The website allows guests to browse products without creating an account.

digital context: guest + website

Common collocations
  • guest user
  • guest pass
  • guest checkout
  • guest access
  • guest account
Synonyms
  • visitor

    common in digital contexts; less formal

  • non-member

    describes the status directly; less polite

Antonyms
  • member

    a person who has full, regular access

Grammar Patterns

guest + of + club/site

guest + user

Usage Note

This sense is common in digital contexts (guest user, guest checkout) and club membership policies. The guest typically has limited access compared to a full member.

4. an entertainer, expert, or speaker appearing on a show or at an event by invitat

4.nounB1
Definition

an entertainer, expert, or speaker appearing on a show or at an event by invitation, not as a regular participant

Example

A famous chef appeared as a guest on a morning show to demonstrate pasta recipes.

guest + on + show

The university invited a guest speaker from Japan to talk about renewable energy.

guest + noun modifier (guest speaker)

Common collocations
  • guest speaker
  • guest star
  • guest lecturer
  • guest performer
  • guest appearance
Synonyms
  • special guest

    emphasises that the person is a highlight of the event

  • guest star

    specific to entertainment, especially TV and music

Antonyms
  • host

    the regular presenter or organiser of the programme

Grammar Patterns

guest + noun (speaker/star/lecturer)

guest + on + show/programme

Usage Note

When used before another noun (guest speaker, guest star, guest lecturer), the compound word functions as a modifier. The person is not a permanent member of the programme or organisation.

Common Mistakes

She guested as a speaker on the panel.' (when meaning she was invited)
She appeared as a guest speaker on the panel.
The verb 'guest' exists (see verb sense below) but is informal; 'guest speaker' is the standard noun phrase.

5. an animal, insect, or plant living somewhere it is considered a nuisance, such a

5.nounC1
Definition

an animal, insect, or plant living somewhere it is considered a nuisance, such as inside a house or in a garden

Example

A family of mice became unwelcome guests in the kitchen during the cold winter months.

figurative: unwelcome guest

The gardener found tiny green caterpillars as uninvited guests on the rose bushes.

Common collocations
  • unwelcome guest
  • uninvited guest
  • persistent guest
  • tiny guest
Synonyms
  • pest

    directly negative; implies harm or nuisance

  • intruder

    stronger negative tone; implies trespassing

Grammar Patterns

unwelcome/uninvited + guest

guest + in + place

Usage Note

This is a figurative or metaphorical use of 'guest'. It is commonly used in British nature writing and home-maintenance contexts. The collocation 'unwelcome guest' is the most frequent pattern.

Idioms

be my guest

idiom

a polite expression giving someone permission to do something they have asked to do, equivalent to 'please go ahead'

"May I borrow your pen?" "Be my guest — I have another one."

When Mert asked if he could take the last piece of cake, Inês smiled and said, "Be my guest."

Edgar Albert Guest

idiom

Edgar Albert Guest (1881–1959) was an American journalist and poet known for his sentimental, optimistic verse about everyday family life, widely syndicated in newspapers across the United States

Edgar Albert Guest's poem 'It Couldn't Be Done' remains one of his most widely recited works.

guest — verb

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three words describe someone who comes to see you or attend an event, but the key difference is invitation. A 'guest' is always someone you have invited — to dinner, a party, or a stay at your home. A 'visitor' is a broader term that includes anyone who comes to your home, office, or country, regardless of invitation; a salesperson at your door is a visitor, not a guest. 'Invitee' is a formal word used in legal or official contexts, focusing strictly on the act of having received an invitation — for example, 'the invitees to the gala were asked to RSVP by Friday.' In everyday English, 'guest' is the most common and natural choice for social situations.

guest ↗visitor ↗invitee

Common collocations

Nouns

  • guest list
  • guest room
  • guest book
  • guest house
  • guest appearance
  • guest speaker
  • guest star

Phrases

Prepositions

  • guest at
  • guest of
  • guest on
  • guest in

Etymology

Old NorseMiddle EnglishModern English

The word comes from Old Norse 'gestr', meaning 'stranger' or 'visitor', which entered English during the Viking Age. It is related to Old English 'gæst' and eventually replaced the earlier Old English word 'cuma' for a visitor. The original meaning of a stranger gradually shifted to a welcome visitor as hospitality customs developed. The verb sense — meaning to appear as a guest on a show — is a much more recent development from the early 20th century.