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guardian angel

guardian angel

39 4.6
A spirit or person people believe protects and helps someone
  • noun
  • /ˈɡɑrdjən ˈeɪndʒəl/
translation icon : ángel guardián
  • I truly believe God put you in my life as a guardian angel.
  • guardian angel or God

And then she says, you know, Pop, you can't see it right now, but right over in the corner is my guardian Angel.

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Examples

  • Charles said his grandmother was like a guardian angel, always protecting and guiding him in life.

  • And you have always been my guardian angel.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Is it safe to say that this might be our guardian angel?

  • Got yourself a guardian angel.

  • Frank is our guardian angel.

  • Then, walking toward them, I saw you watching over me like a guardian angel.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • You were just saved by your guardian angel.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • You should pray to that guardian angel.

  • Before he could make the situation worse, his guardian angel staged an intervention.

    Blog text (3)
  • Looks like you've got a guardian angel.

    Fiction book (2002)

Synonyms

angel
vsguardian angel
881 1.8

A religious being with wings believed to bring messages or help from God

is focused more on personal protection and ongoing guidance rather than broad messaging
guardian
vsguardian angel
347 2.8

A person who looks after and protects someone or their things

includes both spirit and human protectors, not limited to formal responsibility
savior
vsguardian angel
  • US
194 3.2

A person who helps someone escape danger or harm

implies ongoing protection and guidance rather than a single rescue event
protector
vsguardian angel
129 2.8

A person who defends and cares for another person or thing

is a broader protective concept that can be spiritual or guiding, not only human
good spirit
vsguardian angel
  • Literature
4 7.8

A kind spirit that protects people and brings good luck

focuses specifically on personal protection and guidance rather than general goodness
guardian spirit
vsguardian angel
  • Literature
1 7.9

A protective being or angel that watches over a person

also covers the same protective idea when the helper is human or divine being
protectress
vsguardian angel
1 7.5

A woman who keeps people or places safe

is the same protective role but without specifying gender or only human form

How Protective

protector
129 2.8
guardian angel
39 4.6
guide
320 1.0
helper
79 1.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

guardian + angel

The meaning 'a spirit/person who protects or guides someone' is directly and compositionally derived from 'guardian' (protector) combined with 'angel' (a protective/supernatural being). This concept and lexical pairing are cross-linguistically common, so a B1 learner who knows both constituent words would very likely infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Guardian angel comes from the old idea that a person's angel stands close as a guardian, keeping watch and helping them. That's why today a 'guardian angel' means a spirit or person who 'protects' or 'guides' someone.