guard

1 of 2

noun

ˈgärd How to pronounce guard (audio)
Synonyms of guardnext
1
: one assigned to protect or oversee another: such as
a
: a person or a body of persons on sentinel duty
Guards were posted around the camp.
b
guards plural : troops attached to the person of the sovereign
c
British : conductor sense b
2
a
: a defensive state or attitude
asked him out when his guard was down
b
: a defensive position (as in boxing)
3
a
: the act or duty of protecting or defending
b
: the state of being protected : protection
4
: a protective or safety device
specifically : a device for protecting a machine part or the operator of a machine
5
archaic : precaution
6
a
: a position or player next to the center in a football line
b
: a player stationed in the backcourt in basketball

guard

2 of 2

verb

guarded; guarding; guards

transitive verb

1
: to protect an edge of with an ornamental border
2
a
: to protect from danger especially by watchful attention : make secure
police guarding our cities
b
: to stand at the entrance of as if on guard or as a barrier
c
: to tend to carefully : preserve, protect
guarded their privacy
3
archaic : escort
4
a
: to watch over so as to prevent escape, disclosure, or indiscretion
guarded the prisoners.
b
: to attempt to prevent (an opponent) from playing effectively or scoring

intransitive verb

: to watch by way of caution or defense : stand guard
guard against mistakes
guarder noun
Phrases
off guard
: in an unprepared or unsuspecting state
Her angry response caught me off guard.
on guard
: defensively watchful : alert
is on guard against terrorists

Synonyms

Noun

Verb

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 
Choose the Right Synonym for guard

defend, protect, shield, guard, safeguard mean to keep secure from danger or against attack.

defend denotes warding off actual or threatened attack.

defend the country

protect implies the use of something (such as a covering) as a bar to the admission or impact of what may attack or injure.

a hard hat to protect your head

shield suggests protective intervention in imminent danger or actual attack.

shielded her eyes from the sun with her hand

guard implies protecting with vigilance and force against expected danger.

White House entrances are well guarded

safeguard implies taking precautionary protective measures against merely possible danger.

our civil liberties must be safeguarded

Examples of guard in a Sentence

Noun There were dozens of police officers standing guard along the parade route. Tourists gather every day to watch the changing of the guard at Buckingham Palace. The guard must be in place before operating the meat slicer. Verb Two policemen were assigned to guard the prisoner. A tank guarded the bridge from enemy attack. A police officer was stationed outside to guard the door. They jealously guard their secrets. Her whereabouts are a tightly guarded secret.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Matchup to watch: Oregon State left guard Joshua Gray vs. SJSU defensive lineman Soane Toia. —Christian Vieyra, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024 The Los Angeles Lakers will send guard Bronny James to their G-League affiliate beginning Saturday, per ESPN. —Rohan Nadkarni, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
Verb
Further Reading Fencing erected at White House, VP residence as D.C. braces for unrest (The Washington Post) Panic buttons, drones, snipers among plans to guard a high-risk election (The Washington Post) Follow me on Twitter. —Conor Murray, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 The two most compelling testimonies, from two security officers who claimed to be guarding then-UN Secretary-General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar, were provided to Hopkins exclusively by letter. —Lissete Lanuza Sáenz, StyleCaster, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for guard 

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

Middle English garde, from Anglo-French garde, guarde, warde, from garder, guarder, warder, to guard, defend, of Germanic origin; akin to Old High German wartēn to watch, take care — more at ward

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1500, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of guard was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing guard

Dictionary Entries Near guard

Guarayú

guard

guard's van

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Guard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guard. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.

Copy Citation

Share

Kids Definition

guard

1 of 2 noun
ˈgärd How to pronounce guard (audio)
1
: an attitude or state of defense
asked dad for money when his guard was down
2
: the act or duty of protecting or defending
3
a
: a person who guards or a group of persons who guard
b
plural : a body of troops whose duties include guarding a head of state
4
a
: a football player who lines up next to the center
b
: either of two players stationed usually away from the basket in basketball
5
: a protective or safety device (as on a machine)

guard

2 of 2 verb
1
: to protect from danger : defend
2
: to watch over so as to restrict, control, or check
guard a prisoner
a closely guarded secret
guard one's tongue
3
: to try to keep (an opponent) from scoring
4
: to be on guard : take precautions
guard against infection

More from Merriam-Webster on guard

Nglish: Translation of guard for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of guard for Arabic Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See All

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Plural and Possessive Names: A Guide

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?
See All

Popular in Wordplay

See All

8 Words with Fascinating Histories

8 Words for Lesser-Known Musical Instruments

Birds Say the Darndest Things

10 Words from Taylor Swift Songs (Merriam's Version)

10 Scrabble Words Without Any Vowels
See All

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Word Game Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
little chihuahua dressing like a turkey for thanksgiving
Giving Thanks Quiz Decide which words express gratitude and which gi...