unguarded
Americanadjective
-
not guarded; unprotected; undefended.
- Synonyms:
- defenseless
-
open; frank; guileless.
an unguarded manner.
-
exposed to attack or capture by the opponent without recourse by the player, as a card, chess piece, etc..
an unguarded queen of clubs; an unguarded pawn.
-
not cautious or discreet; careless.
In an unguarded moment he had told her about his affair.
- Synonyms:
- indiscreet
-
without a safeguard, as a cover, barrier, or shield, for protection.
an unguarded buzz saw.
adjective
-
unprotected; vulnerable
-
guileless; open; frank
-
incautious or careless
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of unguarded
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.
“Couture’s” three principals rarely interact with one another, but those meaningful exchanges argue that, amid the mad clatter of the everyday, a brief, unguarded moment with a stranger can be supremely restorative.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 26, 2026
The government blamed the disorder on a ragged retreat by the Syrian Democratic Forces that left the camp unguarded for hours and made it difficult to re-establish security.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 18, 2026
Halfway through “Melania’s” 104-minute running time, it occurred to me that it would feel scandalous if Ratner so much as taped her doing something as human and unguarded as eating a bite of food.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 2, 2026
The French international was reduced to tears after pouncing on a Pope error to roll into an unguarded net.
From Barron's ● Jan. 31, 2026
It will be less now, I fear; for I will not leave my strongholds all unguarded.
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
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.
