lifeguard

noun

life·​guard ˈlīf-ˌgärd How to pronounce lifeguard (audio)
: a usually expert swimmer employed (as at a beach or a pool) to safeguard other swimmers
lifeguard intransitive verb

Examples of lifeguard in a Sentence

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.
Beaches in several cities, including Hollywood and Key Biscayne, are open around the clock, although lifeguards have daytime hours. Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 26 Dec. 2025 Less than a week after the Bondi Beach terror attack, Dolla personally invited first responders and lifeguards who assisted during the incident, shouting them out from the stage mid-set. Jessica Lynch, Billboard, 23 Dec. 2025 San Diego lifeguards will have swiftwater rescue teams in place Wednesday and Thursday in North County, the San Diego River in Mission Valley, and near the border. Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 23 Dec. 2025 It is staffed with lifeguards and has a deck built around it, but the pool itself is wild. Npr Staff, NPR, 18 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for lifeguard

Word History

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lifeguard was in 1893

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lifeguard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lifeguard. Accessed 28 Dec. 2025.

Kids Definition

lifeguard

noun
life·​guard ˈlīf-ˌgärd How to pronounce lifeguard (audio)
: a usually expert swimmer employed at a beach or swimming pool to protect swimmers from drowning

More from Merriam-Webster on lifeguard

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!