off-guard

Examples

• All

• The Secret Service agents try to get at their weapons, but Gibbs has caught them completely off-guard.

  Fiction book (1997)

• I hear things at dinner parties, nightclubs... ...anywhere where men are off guard and wives talk.

  Boom Town (1940)

• I was off guard, asleep on duty.

  In Her Skin (2009)

• That first time, I was truly caught off-guard when he didn't say hello, and I felt like an ass.

  Fiction book (1998)

• They probably parked it out of sight so they could catch Oliver off-guard.

  Frankenstein's Daughter (1958)

• I smile, caught off-guard at the blunt question and the implication its tone carries.

  Fiction book (2001)

• The gesture caught Diana off-guard; she hadn't expected such formality.

  Fiction book (1992)

• Even a meteorologist's kids were caught off-guard by this morning's snowfall.

  Blog text (29)

• The regime has recently been caught off-guard by the use of cell phones, blogs, and uploaded videos to encourage labor protests and report on industrial accidents, environmental problems, and incidents of corruption.

  Academic text (2010)

• She was off-guard when her friend surprised her with a birthday party.

Synonyms

U

unsuspecting

vsoff-guard

53 4.2

Not aware that someone might harm or trick you

is broader, meaning not alert or prepared whether danger is expected or not

O

off guard

vsoff-guard

51 4.2

Not ready or paying attention when something happens

focuses on the broader ongoing lack of alertness rather than just surprise

C

to caught off guard

vsoff-guard

29 4.1

Surprised and not ready for something that happens suddenly

covers not being prepared in general, not only sudden surprise moments

U

unguarded

vsoff-guard

8 5.1

Not careful about what you say or do, so you reveal more than you want

is mainly about being unready or not alert rather than exposed physically

U

unwary

vsoff-guard

6 6.1

A person who is not careful about danger and is easily tricked

is the neutral lack of preparedness without implying gullibility

O

off your guard

vsoff-guard

7.2

Not ready and not paying attention when something surprises you

is the neutral description of being not prepared or not alert

O

off one's guard

vsoff-guard

6.6

Not paying attention and not ready for danger or surprise

is the general definition of lacking preparedness or vigilance

O

off (one's) guard

vsoff-guard

5.8

Not paying attention and not ready for surprise or danger

is the full descriptive sense of being unready and not alert

C

caught off the back foot

vsoff-guard

• UK

9.1

Surprised and not ready to deal with a sudden problem

is the general state of lacking alertness, not necessarily vulnerability in events

U

unvigilant

vsoff-guard

8.7

Not watching carefully for danger or problems

is the same idea but in more common everyday wording

U

unwatchful

vsoff-guard

7.3

Not paying attention makes you miss danger or problems

is the general notion of being unprepared rather than only not noticing

U

unapprehensive

vsoff-guard

9.5

Not aware of danger or risk

focuses on immediate unreadiness and lack of alertness rather than slowness

Antonyms

P

prepared

103 1.3

Ready to use or do something when needed

A

alert

82 2.8

Quick to notice and respond to what is happening

How Alert

vigilant

66 6.0

alert

82 2.8

off-guard

3 4.9

inattentive

5 5.3

unaware

175 2.9

Surface Forms

Morphology

Etymology