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

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)

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

The colour and honour guard marched up to the aircraft and stood on both sides of the red carpet as two limos pulled up.

From BBC ● Sep. 24, 2026

That caught some in the legal industry off guard.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

Unlike 2018, when O’Rourke’s rise caught some off guard, the party has been preparing for Talarico since the spring.

From Salon ● Sep. 18, 2026

He’d risen to a starting role at Catholic, as the left guard and defensive tackle, despite being just a 160-pound sophomore.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 17, 2026

I’m taken off guard, because we almost never even say the word Flash, let alone talk about it.

From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold

But on two occasions when guards summoned Kao over the intercom, he refused to enter the visitation room.

From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026

Among them are security guards, technicians who look after customers’ cable setups, supply-chain officers who source materials and engineers who monitor for problems.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026

Patrols by private security guards are to begin from Monday at three Essex locations that asylum seekers frequently visit, a council has confirmed.

From BBC ● Sep. 13, 2026

The prison guards who lived in Susanville coached Little League and bought bread at the bakery downtown.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026

Somehow, the sight of those stoic palace guards made her buck up a bit, with their imperturbable faces and brave fur hats.

From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood

The health of the most powerful Chinese leader since Mao Zedong is a state secret, guarded so tightly that a scratched dinner can send China-watchers scrambling.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

Vague answers like “It was great” can sometimes feel guarded.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 17, 2026

Social media giants usually keep the coding behind these algorithms -- the so-called "secret sauce" that drives traffic to their platforms -- closely guarded.

From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026

There sits the studio, an austere black cube jutting into the countryside, guarded by a giant sculpture of a gorilla.

From BBC ● Sep. 1, 2026

Even the bosslings wouldn’t stand a chance against the giant floating towers that guarded the foothills.

From "Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky" by Kwame Mbalia

He told them he wants a "single set of global principles and standards that are very much about unlocking the full potential whilst guarding against the risks".

From BBC ● Sep. 22, 2026

What Telluride had been guarding so carefully was “You Can See Everything,” a nearly three-hour documentary about convicted Theranos founder Elizabeth Holmes, co-directed by Fielder and documentary filmmaker Lance Oppenheim.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 7, 2026

After repeatedly warning of the rivers’ endangerment, however, Mr. Winder concludes with only the briefest summary of the projects currently aimed at guarding against the dire outcomes he foresees.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

A two-hour drive west of Havana, in rural Consolacion del Sur, the picture is much the same for farmer Fidel Maqueira, who spends his nights guarding his oxen against theft.

From Barron's ● Aug. 4, 2026

Then, Congress assigned the duty of guarding the president to the U.S.

From "Ambushed!" by Gail Jarrow

Related Words

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