en garde

/ɒn ˈɡɑɹd/

interjection

Used to warn one's opponent to take a defensive position prior to a fight.

Similar
defensive
OriginFrench en garde →
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Meanings

interjection
  1. fencingUsed to warn one's opponent to take a defensive position prior to a fight.
nounen garde (uncountable)
  1. abbreviationellipsisuncountablefencingEllipsis of en garde position, the start position in fencing.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjective(fencing) in a defensive stance

Similar
defensive
Also see
on guard

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

  1. Frenchen garde
  2. Frenchen garde
  3. Englishen garde

Borrowed from French en garde.

More words from French

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic اِحْتَمِ, اِحْتَمِي
  • اِحْتَمِ (iḥtami)Translations
  • اِحْتَمِي (iḥtamī)Translations
Bulgarian ангард
  • ангард (angard)Translations
Dutch en garde
  • en gardeTranslations
French en garde
  • en gardeTranslations
German en garde
  • en gardeTranslations
Italian in guardia
  • in guardiaTranslations
Portuguese em guarda!
  • em guarda!Translations
Russian защищайтесь!
  • защищайтесь! (zaščiščajtesʹ!)Translations
Spanish en guardia
  • en guardiaTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

en garde. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/en%20garde

MLA

“en garde.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/en%20garde. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “en garde,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/en%20garde.

Source: en garde on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.