guide
guide — noun
1. A printed or digital collection of essential facts about a specific topic — for
A printed or digital collection of essential facts about a specific topic — for example, gardening, cooking, or exam preparation.
Amani bought a gardening guide before planting her first vegetables.
collocation: buying a guide
This study guide covers all the topics that will appear on the exam.
study guide + for + purpose
The university published a new guide for students with disabilities.
Tuan found a handy guide to fixing bicycle brakes online.
guide to + noun phrase
A good cooking guide explains why ingredients work well together.
- study guide
- user guide
- guide to
- buy a guide
- publish a guide
- handbook
more practical; focuses on instructions rather than general facts
- manual
focuses on how to operate or repair something
- reference book
broader term for any consulted source of facts
Common Mistakes
2. A volume intended for people visiting cities or foreign destinations, with detai
A volume intended for people visiting cities or foreign destinations, with details on sights, accommodation, transport, and practical tips.
Sana bought a travel guide to help plan her trip to Japan.
collocation: travel guide
The guide recommended a small family-run restaurant near the river in Kyoto.
Christopher used a hiking guide to find trails in the Swiss Alps.
This guide has a detailed map of all the subway stations in the city.
The travel guide warned tourists about pickpockets in crowded areas.
- travel guide
- hiking guide
- guide to Paris
- buy a guide
- the guide says
- guidebook
identical meaning; slightly more specific to printed books
- travel book
broader; can include personal travel memoirs
Usage Note
Often shortened to just 'guide' when the context is clear, as in 'Have you bought a guide for Rome?'
Common Mistakes
3. Any piece of information used as a reference point when you need to judge someth
Any piece of information used as a reference point when you need to judge something or reach a conclusion.
The weather forecast served as a guide for whether to hold the party outside.
serve as a guide for + decision
Past exam papers offer a useful guide to the kind of questions you will face.
Isabela used the price of similar houses as a guide when selling her apartment.
use X as a guide
Your instincts can be a helpful guide when you face a difficult personal choice.
- serve as a guide
- use as a guide
- rough guide
- reliable guide
- guide to
Usage Note
Often appears in the pattern 'as a guide to/for [something]'. The implication is that the guide is approximate, not exact.
4. Someone employed or volunteering to escort visitors through a site, explaining i
Someone employed or volunteering to escort visitors through a site, explaining its background and notable features.
The guide showed our group through the old temple and explained its history.
guide shows [group] through [place]
Eve worked as a guide at the national museum during the summer holidays.
work as a guide
Our guide pointed out a rare bird that nests only on this island.
A local guide led the hikers up the narrow mountain trail before dawn.
The museum guide answered every question the children asked about the dinosaur fossils.
- tour guide
- local guide
- museum guide
- mountain guide
- work as a guide
- tour guide
the most common full form; specifically for tourism contexts
- escort
more formal; can suggest accompanying rather than explaining
- docente
formal term for a guide in a museum or gallery; less common
Usage Note
Can also refer to someone who leads groups through wilderness areas (a wilderness guide) or on specialised tours (a wine tour guide).
5. Someone whose values, advice, or example shapes another person's conduct or beli
Someone whose values, advice, or example shapes another person's conduct or beliefs over time.
The head teacher was a moral guide for both students and younger staff.
moral guide
For many young athletes, their coach becomes the most important guide in their lives.
Ziad considered his grandmother his guide when it came to making honest choices.
Ancient philosophers saw reason as the only reliable guide to living well.
guide to + gerund
- moral guide
- spiritual guide
- reliable guide
- guide in life
- mentor
more active relationship involving teaching and advice
- role model
someone you look up to and try to imitate
- inspiration
emphasises motivation rather than direction
Usage Note
Unlike sense 4 (PERSON), this sense is not a job title. It focuses on moral, intellectual, or emotional influence rather than physical escorting.
6. An on-screen listing that displays available television programmes, films, or st
An on-screen listing that displays available television programmes, films, or streaming content along with their broadcast times and channel numbers.
Eliska checked the guide to see what time the documentary started.
check the guide
The TV guide lists more than two hundred channels on the cable system.
Nikhil scrolled through the guide but nothing interesting was on that evening.
The guide on the streaming app shows which films are available in your region.
- TV guide
- check the guide
- scroll through the guide
- programme guide
- programme guide
more formal; common in British English
- channel guide
focuses on channel-based browsing
Usage Note
Often called 'the guide' or 'TV guide'. On digital platforms, it may be referred to as 'the programme guide' or 'the channel guide'.
7. a girl aged ten to fourteen who belongs to the Guides, an organisation for young
a girl aged ten to fourteen who belongs to the Guides, an organisation for young women that teaches practical skills and organises group activities such as camping
Alessia joined the Guides when she was eleven and loved the camping trips.
join the Guides
The Guides meet every Tuesday afternoon at the community centre near the park.
A group of Guides helped clean up the beach as part of a community project.
Amani earned a badge in first aid when she was a Guide last summer.
- join the Guides
- be a Guide
- Guides meeting
- Guides group
- Girl Scout
American equivalent term
- Brownie
refers to younger members, typically aged seven to ten, in the same organisation
Usage Note
British term; in the United States, the equivalent organisation is called the Girl Scouts and members are called Girl Scouts. This sense refers to a member of the organisation, not the organisation itself.
8. an international organisation for girls and young women that aims to build confi
an international organisation for girls and young women that aims to build confidence, teach life skills, and encourage community service through group activities, outdoor adventures, and badge programmes
The Guides has over ten million members in more than a hundred countries.
the Guides organisation
Tamar's mother was a leader in the Guides for more than twenty years.
The Guides teaches girls practical skills like cooking, map reading, and first aid.
Donations helped the Guides start a new programme for girls in rural villages.
- the Guides
- join the Guides
- Guides leader
- Guides organisation
- Girl Scouts
American equivalent organisation
- Girl Guides
full official name in many Commonwealth countries
Usage Note
Always capitalised as 'the Guides' when referring to the organisation. In American English the equivalent is 'the Girl Scouts'. Use the singular verb form ('the Guides has') in British English.
guide — verb
1. to show someone the correct way to do something that is new or difficult, by giv
to show someone the correct way to do something that is new or difficult, by giving them instructions, advice, or support step by step
A senior engineer guided the new workers through the safety procedures.
guide + through + process
The swimming instructor guided Tuan step by step as he learned to float.
This book guides readers in writing their first business plan from scratch.
guide someone in + doing something
A good mentor can guide you toward better career decisions over time.
The teacher guided the students through each step of the science experiment.
- guide through
- guide in
- guide step by step
- guide toward
Grammar Patterns
guide someone through something
guide someone in doing something
Usage Note
Common patterns: 'guide someone through something' (a process or procedure) and 'guide someone in doing something'. More patient and step-by-step than 'teach'.
Common Mistakes
2. to walk with visitors through a place such as a museum, city, or building, point
to walk with visitors through a place such as a museum, city, or building, pointing out interesting things and explaining what they are looking at
A volunteer guided the visitors around the old castle and its gardens.
guide someone around [place]
Sora guided his classmates through the science exhibition at the university.
Christopher guided the tourists through the narrow streets of the old town.
Eve guided her family around the art gallery during their visit to Taipei.
- guide around
- guide through
- guide round
- show around
more informal; no implication of professional role
- take on a tour of
more formal; suggests a planned route
Grammar Patterns
guide someone around [place]
guide someone through [place]
Usage Note
The focus is on showing and explaining, not just leading. Often used with 'around', 'through', or 'round' (British) to indicate the route.
3. to take someone to a particular place or show them the route so that they can ge
to take someone to a particular place or show them the route so that they can get there, especially when they do not know the way
A park ranger guided the lost hikers back to the main trail before dark.
guide + back to [destination]
The signs guided us safely out of the large underground parking garage.
The receptionist guided Sana to the doctor's office on the third floor.
A friendly local guided the travellers to the bus station in the rain.
The lighthouse guides ships safely into the harbour during storms.
- guide to
- guide back to
- guide toward
- guide out of
Grammar Patterns
guide someone to [place]
guide someone back to [place]
Usage Note
Distinguish from sense 2 (SHOW AROUND): this sense focuses on reaching a destination rather than sightseeing. The subject can be a person, a sign, a map, or a light.
4. to support someone by gently grasping a limb and walking with them to a place, u
to support someone by gently grasping a limb and walking with them to a place, usually because they need physical assistance.
Nikhil gently guided his grandmother by the elbow through the crowded market.
guide + by + body part
The nurse guided the patient by the arm into the small examination room.
A young woman guided the elderly man across the busy street safely.
The dance instructor guided Alessia by the hand through the first steps of the waltz.
- guide by the arm
- guide by the elbow
- guide by the hand
Grammar Patterns
guide someone by the [body part]
Usage Note
The preposition 'by' always comes before the body part, never before the person: 'guide someone by the arm', not 'guide by the arm someone'. The body part is always preceded by 'the', not a possessive.
Common Mistakes
5. to control the direction in which a vehicle, tool, or object moves, especially w
to control the direction in which a vehicle, tool, or object moves, especially when doing so requires skill or care
Ziad guided the fishing boat carefully between the sharp rocks near the shore.
guide + vehicle + between/through/into
The pilot guided the plane onto the runway despite the strong wind.
Sora guided the drone over the hills to take photographs of the landscape.
Tuan guided the canoe down the river, avoiding fallen trees in the water.
The driver guided the large truck through the narrow city streets.
- guide through
- guide into
- guide between
- guide down
Grammar Patterns
guide + vehicle/object + preposition
Usage Note
Typically used with vehicles (boat, plane, car, drone) or objects that need careful handling. The focus is on precision and skill in movement.
6. to influence the way someone behaves, thinks, or makes choices, usually in a pos
to influence the way someone behaves, thinks, or makes choices, usually in a positive or constructive direction
A good teacher guides students by helping them discover their own strengths.
guide + by + gerund phrase
Personal values should guide the choices you make in your career.
The company's environmental policy guides every decision about materials and energy use.
Isabela let her instincts guide her when she chose which university to attend.
The principles of fairness and honesty guide the way this court makes its rulings.
- guide decisions
- guide behaviour
- guide choices
- let X guide
- values guide
- mislead
guide in the wrong direction
Grammar Patterns
guide someone
guide something
Usage Note
The subject is often an abstract noun (values, principles, instincts, policy) rather than a person. The pattern 'let [something] guide [someone]' is common in advice contexts.
Common Mistakes
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: noun/4
All four words describe a person who accompanies others, but they differ in role and formality. A 'guide' or 'tour guide' is the everyday term for someone who shows visitors around a place and explains its features. 'Tour guide' makes the tourism context explicit, while 'guide' alone can also mean a book (a different sense). 'Escort' is more formal and focuses on accompanying someone for safety or protocol, without necessarily explaining anything — for example, a police escort or a diplomatic escort. 'Docente' is a specialised term used mainly in museums and galleries, referring to a trained educator who gives expert-level explanations. In casual conversation, 'guide' is the safest choice. For example: 'Our guide told us the temple was built in 1750.' versus 'A police escort led the president's car through the city.'
Common collocations
Etymology
The word 'guide' entered English in the 1300s from Old French 'guider', meaning 'to lead' or 'to direct'. This came from a Germanic root found in the Frankish word 'witan', meaning 'to show the way'. The original sense was about physically leading someone to a place. Over time, the meaning expanded to include leading through knowledge (instruction books), influencing behaviour (moral guidance), and controlling movement (steering vehicles).