off guard

Idioms  

1. Also, off one's guard. Not watchful, easily surprised. It is often put as catch (or be caught) off guard, meaning “take (or be taken) by surprise.” For example, The securities analyst was caught off guard by that financial report, or With any luck the boss will be off guard when I come in late. [Late 1600s] The antonym, on guard or on one's guard, meaning “watchful or prepared, especially to defend oneself,” was first recorded in 1577. For example, In this crowd we must be on guard against pickpockets, or I'm always on my guard when I'm asked how I voted.

---

Example Sentences

“It catches people and our bodies off guard. The coastal areas don’t have AC so that could also cause some issues there. Strenuous activities during the heat can cause some of those issues as well.”

From Los Angeles Times

I loved when a dish caught me off guard.

From Salon

After the marble and dark-wood coolness of the library, I was caught off guard by the bright sun as I burst outside.

From Literature

But the speed and severity of Iran’s response to the strikes—and the sudden choking off of global oil markets—caught some traders off guard.

From The Wall Street Journal

But the speed and severity of Iran’s counterattacks across energy powerhouses lining the Persian Gulf caught many off guard.

From The Wall Street Journal