lifeguard

American  

[lahyf-gahrd] / ˈlaɪfˌgɑrd /

noun

• lifeguards
  plural

1. an expert swimmer employed, as at a beach or pool, to protect bathers from drowning or other accidents and dangers.

---

verb (used without object)

1. to work as a lifeguard.

lifeguard British  

/ ˈlaɪfˌɡɑːd /

noun

1. Also called: life-saver. a person present at a beach or pool to guard people against the risk of drowning

---

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• lifeguards
  plural

---

Etymology

Origin of lifeguard

First recorded in 1640–50; life + guard

---

Explanation

A lifeguard is a person whose job involves watching over swimmers and rescuing them if they're in trouble. You have to do more than just twirl your whistle to be a lifeguard; you'd better be a very good swimmer as well. At the beach and the pool, lifeguards wear swimsuits and carry whistles for catching the attention of rule-breakers, like kids who are dunking each other or jumping into the shallow end. Lifeguards sit perched on high chairs, ready to swim to the aid of someone who's drowning or injured. In the seventeenth century, a lifeguard was a "solider's bodyguard," and by the late 1800s the meaning changed to "watcher of bathers."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

lifeguard lifeguards

Always swim near a lifeguard, Stay off rocks and Jetties.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 4, 2026

A lifeguard rescued her mother, who didn’t remember the incident.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 27, 2026

At a local pool she joined a group of teenagers and received her lifeguard certification.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026

"It breaks my heart, to be fair. It's such a heartbreaking situation to watch," the former lifeguard said.

From BBC ● Aug. 10, 2026

Quite a few people were already gathered around the body, watching the lifeguard work, asking, “Who is it?”

From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya

Signs warn of dangerous conditions, and lifeguards often talk beachgoers out of entering the water if they appear inexperienced.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

In early September, as surfers and bodyboarders rode 20-foot wave faces, lifeguards took an electric reciprocating saw to the exposed pilings.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026

Meteorologist urged beachgoers to only swim near lifeguards and stay off rock jetties.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2026

A 41-year-old man died after he was pulled out of the surf by lifeguards in Laguna Beach, officials said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 27, 2026

I heard one of the lifeguards talking to one of the other lifeguards as he was supposed to be watching a group of little kids.

From "Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe" by Benjamin Alire Saenz

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---