on guard

adjective

The starting position of a fencing bout.

Similar
en gardeon one's guardupon one's guardon your guardwary
Opposite
off guard
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Meanings

adjectiveon guard (comparative more on guard, superlative most on guard)

comparative more on guard · superlative most on guard · alternative on-guard

  1. fencingThe starting position of a fencing bout.

    We fall on guard, and after all it is a friend who comes to meet us.

    1881, Robert Louis Stevenson, Virginibus Puerisque

    Synonyms: en garde

  2. Vigilant, alert.
  3. aeronauticsTransmitting on the aircraft emergency frequency.

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveThe starting position of a fencing bout.

Similar
en garde
Opposite
off guard

More synonyms by meaning

adjectivevigilant

Similar
on one's guardupon one's guardon your guardwary
Also see
argus-eyedawakeguardfulon one's guardvigilantwarywoke

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

French en garde
  • en gardeon alert, vigilant
Māori whakahiwa
  • whakahiwaon alert, vigilant
Polish but see mieć się na baczności
  • but see mieć się na bacznościon alert, vigilant
Spanish estar al pedo, alerta
  • estar al pedoon alert, vigilant
  • alertaon alert, vigilant
  • espabiladoon alert, vigilant
  • despabiladoon alert, vigilant
  • con la guardia en altoon alert, vigilant
  • con la guardia arribaon alert, vigilant
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

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

Chicago

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

Source: on guard on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.