adjective
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protected or kept under surveillance
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prudent, restrained, or noncommittal
a guarded reply
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of guarded
Explanation
Someone who's guarded is careful, restrained, and maybe a little bit wary. It's normal for a new rescue dog to be guarded when you first bring her home. People tend to be guarded in certain situations — when they're being criticized, or are at a party where they don't know a single person. Others simply have guarded personalities, always starting from a position of cautiousness. Guarded can also literally mean "protected," like a guarded castle, but you'll more often find it describing a restrained person.
Vocabulary lists containing guarded
"Skins" and "Nicole"
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Careful
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Vocabulary from Readings 6, Unit 1
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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.
Nguyen told AFP all he knows of his clients sent to South Sudan is that they're at "an undisclosed location" and "guarded by soldiers".
From Barron's • Jul. 7, 2026
Details of the wedding had been a closely guarded secret, with guests assumed to be under instructions not to give away details or photos.
From BBC • Jul. 5, 2026
In addition to the extra security guards milling about, many of the areas that were formerly open to the public were closed off by fences and guarded exits.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2026
The guarded tone seems to be enough — for now — to ease nerves in the $30 trillion Treasury market.
From MarketWatch • Jun. 26, 2026
Stalin kept watch over friends and enemies alike, listening in on their communications and stealing their closely guarded secrets.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
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.
