Guide — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

noun verb /ˈgīd/

Meaning & Definition of Guide

Guide (noun)

  1. one that leads or directs another's way
  2. a person who exhibits and explains points of interest
  3. something that provides a person with guiding information

Guide (verb)

  1. to act as a guide to, direct in a way or course
  2. to direct, supervise, or influence usually to a particular end
  3. to superintend the training or instruction of

Guide (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to give advice and instruction to (someone) regarding the course or process to be followed

    "the pastry chef guided her through the creation of the wedding cake, showing her how to ice the layers, fashion the elaborate decorations, and assemble the whole shebang"

    similar: coach, counsel, lead, mentor, pilot, shepherd, show, tutor, walk through
    related: godfather, direct, engineer, steer, sway, accompany, attend, chaperone, convoy, escort, see, squire, oversee, superintend, supervise, drill, train, brief, enlighten, inform, instruct, school, teach, inculcate, indoctrinate, cultivate, foster, nurture

  2. to look after and make decisions about

    "thought the new superintendent would guide the school system well"

    similar: administer, administrate, carry on, conduct, control, direct, govern, handle, keep, manage, operate, overlook, oversee, preside (over), regulate, run, steward, superintend, supervise, tend, watch over
    related: care (for), mind, watch, lead, pilot, steer, guard, protect, safeguard, micromanage, stage-manage, codirect, comanage

  3. to point out the way for (someone) especially from a position in front

    "would be happy to guide you folks to the historic part of town"

    similar: conduct, direct, lead, marshal, pilot, route, show, steer, usher
    related: precede, accompany, attend, chaperone, convoy, escort, see, control, manage
    opposite: follow, trail
    near: dog, hound, shadow, tail, tailgate

Guide (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. one that accompanies another for protection, guidance, or as a courtesy

    "followed our guide through the dangerous mountain trails"

    similar: attendant, companion, escort, guard
    related: chaperone, squire, shadow, sidekick, conductor, leader, pilot, convoy, courier, honor guard, outrider

Related Entry: Guide word (noun)

Guide word is a different word from Guide. The synonyms below are for guide word, not for guide.

  1. either one of the words that are at the top of a page in a dictionary or similar book and that show the first and last words on the page

    "It is easiest to use the guide words to find the page for the word you are looking up."

    similar: catchword, running head, caption, head, header, heading, headline, rubric, title, banner, streamer, greeting, salutation, superscript, superscription, subhead, subheading, subtitle

Related Entry: Guide dog (noun)

Guide dog is a different word from Guide. The synonyms below are for guide dog, not for guide.

  1. as in police dog, working dog

    similar: police dog, working dog, bandog, bird dog, coonhound, courser, gundog, hunter, sheepdog, sled dog, watchdog, wolf dog, wolfhound, lapdog, pup, puppy, puppy dog, whelp, bitch, cur, mongrel, mutt, canine, dog, doggy, hound, pooch, tyke

Related Entry: Guide dogs (noun)

Guide dogs is a different word from Guide. The synonyms below are for guide dogs, not for guide.

  1. as in police dogs, working dogs

    similar: police dogs, working dogs, bandogs, bird dogs, coonhounds, coursers, gundogs, hunters, sheepdogs, sled dogs, watchdogs, wolf dogs, wolfhounds, lapdogs, puppies, puppy dogs, pups, whelps, bitches, curs, mongrels, mutts, canines, doggies, dogs, hounds, pooches, tykes

Related Entry: Guide words (noun)

Guide words is a different word from Guide. The synonyms below are for guide words, not for guide.

  1. either one of the words that are at the top of a page in a dictionary or similar book and that show the first and last words on the page

    "It is easiest to use the guide words to find the page for the word you are looking up."

    similar: catchwords, running heads, captions, headers, headings, headlines, heads, rubrics, titles, banners, streamers, greetings, salutations, superscriptions, superscripts, subheadings, subheads, subtitles

Related Entry: Tour guide (noun)

Tour guide is a different word from Guide. The synonyms below are for tour guide, not for guide.

  1. as in driver, ticket agent

    similar: captain, chauffeur, driver, engineer, operator, pilot, skipper, attendant, guard, guide, conductor, ticket agent

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Guide

The most common words with a similar meaning to Guide:

coach, counsel, lead, mentor, pilot, shepherd, show, tutor, administer, administrate, carry on, conduct, control, direct, govern, handle, keep, manage, operate, overlook, oversee, preside (over), regulate, run, steward, superintend, supervise, tend, marshal, route, steer, usher, walk through, watch over, attendant, companion, escort, guard

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Guide

Words with the opposite meaning of Guide:

follow, trail

Related Words for Guide

godfather, engineer, sway, accompany, attend, chaperone, convoy, see, squire, drill, train, brief, enlighten, inform, instruct, school, teach, inculcate, indoctrinate, cultivate, foster, nurture, care (for), mind, watch, protect, safeguard, micromanage, stage-manage, codirect

Near Antonyms of Guide

dog, hound, shadow, tail, tailgate

Word Forms of Guide

Inflections: guided, guiding

Derived words: guider (noun)

Origin & Etymology of Guide

Middle English gide, guide, from Anglo-French, from Old Occitan guida, of Germanic origin; akin to Old English wītan to look after, witan to know wit

First known use: 14th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Guide

Words & Phrases Containing Guide

guide dog, guide word, field guide, Girl Guide, light guide, tour guide

Frequently Asked Questions about Guide

What does "Guide" mean?

"Guide" means one that leads or directs another's way. As an a noun and a verb, it is defined as: one that leads or directs another's way. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Guide"?

Other words for "Guide" include coach, counsel, lead, mentor, pilot, shepherd, show and tutor. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Guide" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Guide"?

There are 77 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Guide". Common alternatives include coach, counsel, lead, mentor, pilot, shepherd, show, tutor, administer and administrate.

What is the opposite of "Guide"?

Antonyms of "Guide" include follow and trail. Near antonyms include dog, hound, shadow and tail.

How do you use "Guide" in a sentence?

Examples of "Guide" in a sentence: "the pastry chef guided her through the creation of the wedding cake, showing her how to ice the layers, fashion the elaborate decorations, and assemble the whole shebang"; "thought the new superintendent would guide the school system well"; "would be happy to guide you folks to the historic part of town".

Is "Guide" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Guide" can be used as a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Guide" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A2-level word, "Guide" is typical of Cambridge A2 Key (KET), PTE Academic 30–42, TOEIC Listening & Reading 225+.

How do you pronounce "Guide"?

"Guide" is pronounced /ˈgīd/.