All guarded synonyms
guard·ed
G g adj guarded
- suspicious — tending to cause or excite suspicion; questionable: suspicious behavior.
- cautious — Someone who is cautious acts very carefully in order to avoid possible danger.
- reserved — kept in reserve; forming a reserve: a reserve fund; a reserve supply.
- restrained — characterized by restraint: The actor gave a restrained performance.
- circumspect — If you are circumspect, you are cautious in what you do and say and do not take risks.
- calculating — If you describe someone as calculating, you disapprove of the fact that they deliberately plan to get what they want, often by hurting or harming other people.
- attentive — If you are attentive, you are paying close attention to what is being said or done.
- cagey — If you say that someone is being cagey about something, you mean that you think they are deliberately not giving you much information or expressing an opinion about it.
- canny — A canny person is clever and able to think quickly. You can also describe a person's behaviour as canny.
- careful — If you are careful, you give serious attention to what you are doing, in order to avoid harm, damage, or mistakes. If you are careful to do something, you make sure that you do it.
- chary — If you are chary of doing something, you are fairly cautious about doing it.
- discreet — judicious in one's conduct or speech, especially with regard to respecting privacy or maintaining silence about something of a delicate nature; prudent; circumspect.
- gingerly — with great care or caution; warily.
- leery — leer2 .
- noncommittal — not committing oneself, or not involving committal, to a particular view, course, or the like: The senator gave us a noncommittal answer.
- prudent — wise or judicious in practical affairs; sagacious; discreet or circumspect; sober.
- reticent — disposed to be silent or not to speak freely; reserved.
- safe — secure from liability to harm, injury, danger, or risk: a safe place.
- vigilant — keenly watchful to detect danger; wary: a vigilant sentry.
- wary — watchful; being on one's guard against danger.
- watchful — vigilant or alert; closely observant: The sentry remained watchful throughout the night.
- on the lookout — keeping watch
- overcareful — excessively or unduly careful.
- overcautious — excessively or unnecessarily cautious: Sometimes it doesn't pay to be overcautious in business.
adjective guarded
- protected — to defend or guard from attack, invasion, loss, annoyance, insult, etc.; cover or shield from injury or danger.
- secured — free from or not exposed to danger or harm; safe.
- defended — Simple past tense and past participle of defend.
- fortified — to protect or strengthen against attack; surround or provide with defensive military works.
- hesitant — hesitating; undecided, doubtful, or disinclined.
adverb guarded
- on one's toes — one of the terminal digits of the human foot.
- on the watch — to be alertly on the lookout, look attentively, or observe, as to see what comes, is done, or happens: to watch while an experiment is performed.