Guest
/ɡɛst/
Definitions
2 meaningsA person who is invited to a house or event.
/ɡɛst/
A person invited to visit someone's home or to attend a social occasion.
The bride and groom were so happy to see their guests arrive at the wedding.
💡 Simply: Imagine your friend comes over to your house to play video games! They are your guest. It's someone you invite to visit.
👶 For kids: A guest is someone who comes to visit your house or a party!
More Examples
The hotel's staff ensured that every guest felt comfortable during their stay.
The celebrity guest drew a large crowd at the book signing.
How It's Used
"We invited several guests to the party."
"The hotel welcomed its guests warmly."
To appear or participate as a guest.
/ɡɛst/
To be a guest at a place or event.
The musician was invited to guest on a talk show to promote her new album.
💡 Simply: If you perform a special song on a famous show, you could say you 'guested' on that program. It means you were a special, temporary participant.
👶 For kids: When you're a guest, you're sometimes just visiting or doing something special at a party or on a show!
More Examples
The actor guested in several episodes of the series before becoming a regular.
She will guest at the gala to support the charity.
How It's Used
"He guest-starred on the popular TV show."
"She guested at her friend's wedding."
Idioms & expressions
make a guest appearance
To appear or participate as a guest, typically for a short period.
"The famous comedian made a guest appearance on the late-night show."
From Old Norse *gestr*, akin to Old English *giest* (related to Latin *hostis*, meaning 'stranger').
Historically, 'guest' was used to describe someone who was welcomed into a home, often a traveler or a stranger. Its use has evolved to include any invited person.
Memory tip
Think of someone you've welcomed into your home – that's a guest!
Word Origin
"stranger, visitor"