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Glite Dictionary
off (one's) guard

off (one's) guard

5.8
Not paying attention and not ready for surprise or danger
  • idiom
translation icon : desprevenido
  • He was caught off his guard by the sudden announcement.

Examples

  • The sudden question caught her off her guard during the meeting.

  • She was completely off her guard when the camera flash went off unexpectedly.

  • If you let yourself become off her guard, you might miss important details.

  • Don't let your guard down; you might be off your guard.

  • She was completely off her guard when the camera flash went off unexpectedly.

  • The sudden question caught her off her guard during the meeting.

  • He was caught off his guard by the sudden announcement.

Synonyms

careless
vsoff (one's) guard
79 2.8

A lack of thought about possible danger or consequences

is about not being alert to danger rather than general lack of concern
unsuspecting
vsoff (one's) guard
53 4.2

Not aware that someone might harm or trick you

is about failing to watch for danger rather than simple lack of expectation
off guard
vsoff (one's) guard
51 4.2

Not ready or paying attention when something happens

stresses relaxed attention to potential danger rather than sudden surprise
to caught off guard
vsoff (one's) guard
29 4.1

Surprised and not ready for something that happens suddenly

highlights ongoing inattention to possible danger rather than a single shock
unguarded
vsoff (one's) guard
8 5.1

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

focuses more on not paying attention to danger than physical exposure
off-guard
vsoff (one's) guard
3 4.9

Not ready or alert when something surprises you

emphasizes lack of attention to possible problems rather than formality
incautious
vsoff (one's) guard
1 6.7

Not careful about possible danger or harm

is about failing to pay attention to danger rather than mere thoughtlessness
off your guard
vsoff (one's) guard
7.2

Not ready and not paying attention when something surprises you

is about lacking attention to possible danger rather than specific events
off one's guard
vsoff (one's) guard
6.6

Not paying attention and not ready for danger or surprise

focuses more on general inattention rather than single unexpected events
caught off the back foot
vsoff (one's) guard
  • UK
9.1

Surprised and not ready to deal with a sudden problem

is broader, pointing to general inattention rather than specific vulnerability
napping
vsoff (one's) guard
  • Informal
6.8

Not paying attention and easily surprised by danger or chance

is about not paying attention to danger rather than physical sleepiness
unvigilant
vsoff (one's) guard
8.7

Not watching carefully for danger or problems

is about not preparing for threats rather than merely missing signals
unwatchful
vsoff (one's) guard
7.3

Not paying attention makes you miss danger or problems

places more weight on general unreadiness to face danger or surprises
guardless
vsoff (one's) guard
8.6

Not careful in what you say or do

is specifically about not watching for danger rather than careless conduct
unapprehensive
vsoff (one's) guard
9.5

Not aware of danger or risk

is more about inattention and unreadiness than gradual recognition failure

Antonyms

alert
137 3.5

A state of being ready and watchful for possible danger

prepared
103 1.3

Ready to use or do something when needed

How Alert

vigilant
66 6.0
on guard
27 3.5
alert
82 2.8
off (one's) guard
5.8
unaware
175 2.9

Surface Forms

off (one's) guard positive

Morphology

off + (one's) + guard

The meaning is directly derivable from 'off' (away/not) plus 'guard' (protection/alertness): together they denote being 'not guarded' or 'not paying attention'. This is a straightforward negation of being 'on guard' and matches common cross-linguistic patterns, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent meanings should understand it.

Etymology

Off (one's) guard comes from the image of a guard stepping off their post so the guard is not watching. So, when you are off (your) guard, you are 'not prepared' or 'not paying attention', and can be surprised or caught by a problem.