guard

American  

[gahrd] / gɑrd /

verb (used with object)

• guards,
  present (3rd person singular)
• guarded,
  past participle,  past
• guarding
  present participle

1. to keep safe from harm or danger; protect; watch over.

   to guard the ruler.

   Synonyms:

   save, preserve, safeguard, shelter, shield

   Antonyms:

   attack

2. to keep under close watch in order to prevent escape, misconduct, etc..

   to guard a prisoner.

3. to keep under control or restraint as a matter of caution or prudence.

   to guard one's temper.

   Synonyms:

   watch, hold

4. to provide or equip with some safeguard or protective appliance, as to prevent loss, injury, etc.

5. Sports. to position oneself so as to obstruct or impede the movement or progress of (an opponent on offense).

   The linebacker moved to his right to guard the end going out for a pass.

6. Chess. to protect (a piece or a square) by placing a piece in a supportive or defensive position relative to it.

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verb (used without object)

• guards,
  present (3rd person singular)
• guarded,
  past participle,  past
• guarding
  present participle

1. to take precautions (usually followed byagainst ).

   to guard against errors.

2. to give protection; keep watch; be watchful.

noun

• guards
  plural

1. a person or group of persons that guards, protects, or keeps a protective or restraining watch.

   Synonyms:

   patrol, sentinel, sentry, guardsman, guardian, watchman, protector, defend

2. a person who keeps watch over prisoners or others under restraint.

3. a body of people, especially soldiers, charged with guarding a place from disturbance, theft, fire, etc.

4. a close watch, as over a prisoner or other person under restraint.

   to be kept under guard.

5. a device, appliance, or attachment that prevents injury, loss, etc.

6. something intended or serving to guard or protect; safeguard.

   insurance as a guard against disasters.

   Synonyms:

   security, aegis, protection, defense, shield, bulwark, safety

7. a posture of defense or readiness, as in fencing, boxing, or bayonet drill.

8. Football.

   1. either of the linemen stationed between a tackle and the center.

   2. the position played by this lineman.

9. Basketball. either of the players stationed in the backcourt.

10. Chess. a piece that supports or defends another.

11. Cards. a low card that is held with a high card of the same suit and that enables the holder to save the high card for a later trick.

12. British. a railroad conductor.

13. Guards, the name of certain bodies of troops in the British army.

idioms

1. on guard, vigilant; wary: Also on one's guard.

   on guard against dishonest merchants.

2. stand guard over, to watch over; protect.

   The dog stood guard over his wounded master.

3. off guard, unprepared; unwary: Also off one's guard.

   The blow from behind caught him off guard.

guard British  

/ ɡɑːd /

verb

1. to watch over or shield (a person or thing) from danger or harm; protect

2. to keep watch over (a prisoner or other potentially dangerous person or thing), as to prevent escape

3. (tr) to control

   to guard one's tongue

4. to take precautions

5. to control entrance and exit through (a gate, door, etc)

6. (tr) to provide (machinery, etc) with a device to protect the operator

7. (tr)

   1. chess cards to protect or cover (a chess man or card) with another

   2. curling bowls to protect or cover (a stone or bowl) by placing one's own stone or bowl between it and another player

8. archaic (tr) to accompany as a guard

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noun

1. a person or group who keeps a protecting, supervising, or restraining watch or control over people, such as prisoners, things, etc

2. a person or group of people, such as soldiers, who form a ceremonial escort

   guard of honour

3. the official in charge of a train

4. 1. the act or duty of protecting, restraining, or supervising

   2. ( as modifier )

      guard duty

5. another word for garda

6. a device, part, or attachment on an object, such as a weapon or machine tool, designed to protect the user against injury, as on the hilt of a sword or the trigger of a firearm

7. anything that provides or is intended to provide protection

   a guard against infection

8. 1. another name for safety chain

   2. a long neck chain often holding a chatelaine

9. See guard ring

10. sport an article of light tough material worn to protect any of various parts of the body

11. basketball

    1. the position of the two players in a team who play furthest from the basket

    2. a player in this position

12. the posture of defence or readiness in fencing, boxing, cricket, etc

13. cricket (of a batsman) to choose a position in front of the wicket to receive the bowling, esp by requesting the umpire to indicate his position relative to the stumps

14. cricket (of an umpire) to indicate such a position to a batsman

15. having one's defences down; unprepared

16. prepared to face danger, difficulties, etc

17. (of a military sentry, etc) to keep watch

18. 1. (of a sentry) to begin to keep watch

    2. (with over) to take up a protective or defensive stance (over something)

guard More Idioms  

1. see off guard; stand guard.

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Synonym Usage

See defend.

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• guarder
  noun
• self-guard
  noun
• underguard
  noun
• preguard
  verb (used with object)
• guardable
  adjective
• guardless
  adjective
• guardlike
  adjective
• unguardable
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• guards
  plural

Participles

• guarding
  present
• guarded
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• guard
  simple
• guards
  simple
• have guarded
  perfect
• has guarded
  perfect
• am guarding
  progressive
• are guarding
  progressive
• is guarding
  progressive
• have been guarding
  perfect progressive
• has been guarding
  perfect progressive

Past

• guarded
  simple
• had guarded
  perfect
• was guarding
  progressive
• were guarding
  progressive
• had been guarding
  perfect progressive

Future

• will guard
  simple
• will have guarded
  perfect
• will be guarding
  progressive
• will have been guarding
  perfect progressive

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Etymology

Origin of guard

First recorded in 1375–1425; late Middle English garde “guardianship,” from Old French g(u)arde, noun derivative of g(u)arder (verb), from Germanic; cognate with Old English weard ( see ward)

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Explanation

A person who protects something is called a guard. You might see a security guard at the mall, a crossing guard on the street outside a school, or a palace guard at Buckingham Palace. To guard something is to watch over it or keep it from danger. You should ask someone to guard your backpack when you go to the restroom at the restaurant — or take it with you. The verb guard also means to protect against unintended consequences. To guard against overeating at the party, you could have a light snack before you go, so you aren't as tempted by all the delicious snacks and desserts.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

guard guards guarded guarding

When a security guard told them to stop, one man cried: "I love you, Bukangi!"

From BBC ● Oct. 24, 2026

After all, Hegseth has served as a platoon leader in the National Guard and as a prison guard for a little while, so he knew what he was talking about.

From Salon ● Oct. 24, 2026

"Guard, guard, strength, strength, for my people, for my land," the guards chanted as they held their traditional wooden staffs aloft during the gathering in Caloto in violence-plagued Cauca department.

From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026

“It’s just a matter of I don’t want people to let their guard down.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026

"You men are being punished for your bad behavior," Don Quixote told the convicts, "but since I know you don't want to go where you're being taken, I'll ask this guard to set you free."

From "Adventures of Don Quixote" by Argentina Palacios

Their ire is directed at a bill that would allow the government to gather data on the guards and on where they operate for a national registry.

From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026

The free-agent acquisitions will join guards Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves and center Walker Kessler in the Lakers’ first starting lineup of the new season Wednesday against the Golden State Warriors at Crypto.com Arena.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026

They are best known for their distinctive, bullet-shaped internal skeletal structures, called rostra or guards, which are often the only parts of the animals that survive in the fossil record.

From Science Daily ● Oct. 20, 2026

Reuters news agency reported luxury shops and boutiques were shuttered and surrounded by security guards at the Place Vendome in Paris.

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

The guards at the entry gate kept the workers waiting.

From "Meltdown" by Deirdre Langeland

The five-day mini camp was a rare moment of vulnerability for the usually guarded Doncic.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026

The company suspected the three of leaking information to an external AI-safety researcher about one of OpenAI’s most closely guarded secrets: the internal designs of its artificial-intelligence models.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

The manager was guarded but told him the chips were sold for high-end landscaping.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 21, 2026

The character has been seen but not heard around Springfield since the October 2017 episode The Serfsons, and his big return to action had reportedly been a closely guarded secret.

From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026

Most of these shacks were guarded by thin dogs, that yapped at the children from the shade under the houses.

From "Homecoming" by Cynthia Voigt

Thybulle, a 6-foot-5 wing, is a maestro guarding off the ball.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2026

The U.K. government says its bases are safe and it is currently in the process of changing the law so that military personnel guarding bases can track, jam and shoot down drones from afar.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 8, 2026

Free trains are being laid on to the capital for the occasion, with some 750 police guarding the centre of Sofia during the handover ceremony.

From Barron's ● Oct. 2, 2026

Over time, the human body became remarkably good at guarding its energy reserves through complex biological defenses wired into the brain.

From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026

‘My grandmother’s fields are next to a den of baboons, and she is worn out from guarding them. I am making a long rope to drag the fields closer to her hut.’

From "A Girl Named Disaster" by Nancy Farmer

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Related Words

• cover
• defend
• escort
• keep
• look after
• observe
• oversee
• patrol
• preserve
• safeguard
• secure
• shield
• supervise

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