Synonyms of guarded

guarded 1 of 2

adjective

ˈgär-dəd 

as in wary

having or showing a close attentiveness to avoiding danger or trouble

a guarded man who knew better than to reveal such delicate information

guarded actions

Synonyms & Similar Words

• wary
• cautious
• careful
• alert
• circumspect
• gingerly
• conservative
• heedful
• safe
• considerate
• chary
• vigilant
• watchful
• thoughtful
• attentive
• observant
• awake
• cagey
• foresighted
• regardful
• provident
• deliberate
• slow
• shrewd
• calculating
• advertent
• hypercautious
• foresightful
• forethoughtful
• canny
• ultracareful
• ultracautious

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unguarded
• careless
• unsafe
• heedless
• reckless
• unmindful
• rash
• regardless
• bold
• impetuous
• unwary
• brash
• venturesome
• negligent
• inattentive
• asleep
• lax
• thoughtless
• incautious
• inconsiderate
• remiss
• neglectful
• indiscreet
• imprudent
• injudicious
• forgetful
• inadvertent
• unplanned
• unintentional
• absentminded

guarded

2 of 2

verb

past tense of guard

1

as in protected

to drive danger or attack away from

guard the quarterback so he doesn't get sacked

Synonyms & Similar Words

• protected
• defended
• safeguarded
• shielded
• secured
• fenced
• kept
• warded
• fended
• screened
• bulwarked
• covered
• stood up for
• saved
• preserved
• prevented
• forfended
• opposed
• resisted
• conserved
• averted
• withstood
• fought
• contended
• warred
• walled
• buffered
• picketed
• battled
• palisaded

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• attacked
• assailed
• assaulted
• bombarded
• stormed
• besieged
• beset
• submitted
• yielded
• overran
• caved
• capitulated

2

as in blockaded

to disallow entry into (a place) by means of a physical barrier at the entry point

a fire-breathing dragon guarded the entrance to the castle

Synonyms & Similar Words

• blockaded
• barricaded
• locked
• barred
• gated
• closed (off)
• blocked (off)
• obstructed
• fenced
• walled (off)
• hedged
• screened (off)
• bolted
• curtained (off)
• diked

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• opened
• reopened
• unbarred
• unbolted
• unblocked

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of guarded

Adjective

After his relationship with Jan (Amy Ryan) ended dramatically, Charles (Steve Martin) is even more guarded with his heart in season two. —Emma Fraser and Sophie Brookover, Town & Country, 21 Dec. 2022

The guarded and pessimistic mood that results from this oppression permeates this melodrama, all the way down to its muted color palette. —Katie Rife, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2022

Verb

Occasionally the focus drops to the fishermen’s crustacean quarry in the deep, also guarded and unhurried but intensely vulnerable; the man-lobster parallel isn’t stretched to the point of contrivance, but the film takes a thoughtfully holistic view of all the region’s living inhabitants. —Guy Lodge, Variety, 24 Mar. 2026

The diplomatic quarter in Islamabad is heavily guarded, and no one can enter without an invitation. —George Packer, The Atlantic, 24 Mar. 2026