1
: cautious, circumspect
a guarded response
2
: being an extremely serious condition with uncertain outcome
was in guarded condition after the crash
guardedly
adverb
guardedness
noun
Examples of guarded in a Sentence
a guarded man who knew better than to reveal such delicate information
Recent Examples on the Web
When that happens, people become more guarded, less open and less willing to engage.
—
Tony Gambill,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2026
Our spirits remain guarded, but high, for this one; the Venice Film Festival crowd seemed to eat it up.
—
Randy Myers,
The Mercury News,
3 Sep. 2024
After his relationship with Jan (Amy Ryan) ended dramatically, Charles (Steve Martin) is even more guarded with his heart in season two.
—
Emma Fraser and Sophie Brookover,
Town & Country,
21 Dec. 2022
Jennifer Kale is a witch who is very guarded and needs to learn how to trust people, and keeps getting tested on that over and over again throughout the show.
—
Brande Victorian,
The Hollywood Reporter,
3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for guarded
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Tony Gambill,
Forbes.com,
30 Apr. 2026
Our spirits remain guarded, but high, for this one; the Venice Film Festival crowd seemed to eat it up.
—
Randy Myers,
The Mercury News,
3 Sep. 2024
After his relationship with Jan (Amy Ryan) ended dramatically, Charles (Steve Martin) is even more guarded with his heart in season two.
—
Emma Fraser and Sophie Brookover,
Town & Country,
21 Dec. 2022
Jennifer Kale is a witch who is very guarded and needs to learn how to trust people, and keeps getting tested on that over and over again throughout the show.
—
Brande Victorian,
The Hollywood Reporter,
3 Sep. 2019
See All Example Sentences for guarded
Cite this Entry
“Guarded.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/guarded. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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