off guard
51
4.2
- idiom
:
desprevenido
- And they were completely caught off guard and I left.
- caught off guard
But the moment you relax, you're off guard.
- But the moment you relax, you're off guard.
- You know, this kind of caught me off guard because it is such a beautifully put together collection.
- And she was caught off guard by her reaction to these scenes.
- Come on, man, They got me off guard, caught me off guard big time.
- And like when I'm caught off guard and I turn like really bright red.
- So his recent request really caught me off guard to say the least.
- No you don't, and you may be caught off guard.
- You were so caught off guard, you were in complete curiosity mode.
- And the NRA was kind of caught off guard and Rocky Mountain Gun Owners made huge headway.
Examples
-
The sudden change in weather caught us off guard, leaving us unprepared for the heavy rain.
-
Her unexpected arrival at the party caught everyone off guard, as nobody knew she was coming.
-
Yeah, he kind of caught me off guard last night.
-
Having been caught off guard by the first kick, Paul was prepared for the second.
Fiction book (1991) -
The two cops realize the whole thing was an act to throw them off guard, and it worked.
Fiction book (1992) -
And she was caught off guard by her reaction to these scenes.
-
That spring, conservative governments have been caught off guard by the speed of events.
-
The knock at the back door caught her off guard and brought back painful memories.
Fiction book (1991) -
So we were both caught off guard and we had this kind of nice rapport.
-
I think NVIDIA just caught everybody off guard and just shook the world up.
Synonyms
53
4.2
Not aware that someone might harm or trick you
29
4.1
Surprised and not ready for something that happens suddenly
8
5.1
Not careful about what you say or do, so you reveal more than you want
6
6.1
A person who is not careful about danger and is easily tricked
3
4.9
Not ready or alert when something surprises you
Not paying attention and not ready for danger or surprise
Not paying attention and not ready for surprise or danger
Not ready and not paying attention when something surprises you
Surprised and not ready to deal with a sudden problem
Antonyms
How Prepared
Surface Forms
Morphology
The adjective 'off guard' is directly derivable from 'off' indicating absence or removal and 'guard' meaning protection or alertness, so a learner who knows both words can infer 'not guarded / not alert' and thus 'surprised or unprepared'. This negation pattern (compare off duty, off balance) is common in English and across languages, making the expression immediately comprehensible to a B1 learner.
Etymology
Off guard may come from the image of a guard who is off duty or has left their post, so the place is not watched. So, if you are off guard, you are 'not ready' or 'surprised'.