guru

guru — noun

1. A person who acts as a spiritual guide in traditions such as Hinduism and Sikhis

1.nounB2
Definition

A person who acts as a spiritual guide in traditions such as Hinduism and Sikhism, showing followers how to deepen their faith and live according to religious principles.

Example

Gita visits her guru in the mountains every year for spiritual guidance.

collocation: spiritual guidance

The old guru told stories about ancient teachings under a large banyan tree.

Common collocations
  • spiritual guru
  • guru's teachings
  • guru's blessing
  • follow a guru
  • guru + meditation / prayer
Synonyms
  • teacher

    a general term that lacks the spiritual authority implied by guru

  • master

    suggests complete expertise and authority, often in a spiritual or martial tradition

  • swami

    a specific Hindu religious title, narrower than guru

Antonyms
  • disciple

    a follower or student, the opposite role to a guru

  • follower

    someone who learns from a guru rather than teaching

Grammar Patterns

guru + of + noun

guru + to + noun

Common Mistakes

My school guru taught me mathematics.
My school teacher taught me mathematics.
In English, 'guru' specifically refers to a spiritual or religious guide, not a regular classroom instructor.

2. Someone with deep knowledge or skill in a particular area who is regarded by oth

2.nounB2
Definition

Someone with deep knowledge or skill in a particular area who is regarded by others as a source of reliable advice, opinions, or ideas worth following.

Example

Felipe is the marketing guru who made their small brand famous worldwide.

collocation: marketing guru

The fitness guru shared a ten-minute morning workout that anyone can do.

collocation: fitness guru

Common collocations
  • marketing guru
  • tech guru
  • fitness guru
  • financial guru
  • management guru
  • cooking guru
  • guru status
Synonyms
  • expert

    more formal and neutral; suitable for all contexts

  • specialist

    emphasises focused training in one area rather than broad influence

  • authority

    stresses recognised status and credibility in a field

Antonyms
  • amateur

    someone without professional-level knowledge or skill

  • novice

    a beginner who has not yet developed deep expertise

Grammar Patterns

guru + of + noun

guru + in + noun

noun + guru

Usage Note

Commonly paired with a preceding noun to specify the field of expertise (tech guru, fitness guru, management guru). The tone is informal and often admiring, so this sense is less common in formal academic or professional writing.

Common Mistakes

The professor is a guru of physics.
The professor is an expert in physics.
In formal or academic contexts, 'expert' or 'specialist' is more appropriate; 'guru' sounds informal and slightly exaggerated.
My yoga guru at the gym showed me a new pose.' (for a regular instructor)
My yoga teacher at the gym showed me a new pose.
Only use 'guru' for sense 2 when the person is seen as an exceptional authority, not for everyday instructors.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

Guru, expert, specialist, and authority all describe people with strong knowledge, but they differ in tone and scope. Guru is the most informal and carries a sense of admiration — even devotion — for the person's skill. It is common in lifestyle and business media (a design guru, a management guru) but rare in academic writing. Expert is the neutral, all-purpose term: an expert can be a furniture restorer or a nuclear physicist, and the word fits any register. Specialist emphasises narrow, focused training — a specialist may know a great deal about one small area while knowing little about others. Authority adds the idea of recognised status: an authority is someone whose opinions carry weight because of their established reputation. For everyday use, expert is the safest choice; guru works when you want to convey enthusiasm, and authority when you want to stress credibility. For example: 'She is an expert in ancient Chinese pottery.' (neutral, professional) vs. 'He is the pottery guru on social media.' (informal, admiring).

guru ↗expert ↗specialist ↗authority ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • guru advice
  • guru status
  • guru culture
  • guru worship

Prepositions

  • guru of
  • guru in
  • guru to

Etymology

SanskritHindiEnglish

Guru comes from the Sanskrit word गुरु (guru), meaning 'heavy, weighty, or venerable.' In ancient Indian tradition, a guru was a spiritual teacher whose knowledge carried great weight — someone worth following. The word travelled into English through Hindi in the 1600s, first referring to Hindu and Sikh religious guides. By the mid-1900s it had broadened to mean any admired expert or adviser in a particular field, from business to fitness.