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Synonyms

bodyguard

American  
[bod-ee-gahrd] / ˈbɒd iˌgɑrd /

noun

  1. a person or group of persons employed to guard an individual, as a high official, from bodily harm.

  2. a retinue; escort.

verb (used with or without object)

  1. to provide with or act as a bodyguard.

bodyguard British  
/ ˈbɒdɪˌɡɑːd /

noun

  1. a person or group of people who escort and protect someone, esp a political figure

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of bodyguard

First recorded in 1725–35; body + guard

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The presence of Raul Guillermo Rodriguez Castro, who is his grandfather's bodyguard, on the front row when Diaz-Canel disclosed the US-Cuba talks raised eyebrows as he holds no official government title.

From Barron's • Apr. 7, 2026

For the remainder of his time in Venezuela, he had a bodyguard by his side.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 19, 2026

JOP is often flanked by bodyguard Mario Rogelio, who once got his foot run over by a car while protecting the band in New York City.

From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 8, 2026

Xolani says that his brother left South Africa on 8 July, thinking he was going to be trained as a bodyguard for MK.

From BBC • Nov. 28, 2025

“A big brute like this, he’s worth three times as much. What a bodyguard he will make! No enemy will dare molest you!”

From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.