off-guard

ADJECTIVE

unprepared

Synonyms

WEAK

asleep asleep on the job daydreaming flat-footed inattentive napping spaced out unalert unready unsuspecting unvigilant unwatchful zoned out

ADVERB

when not paying attention

Synonyms

WEAK

asleep asleep at the switch derelict flat-footed napping negligent not on the job unalert unguarded unprepared unready unwatchful

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Yoon's declaration triggered protests, panicked the stock market and caught key allies like the United States off-guard.

From Barron's • Apr. 29, 2026

Tom Lee, head of research at Fundstrat, explained in his ‘Macro Minute’ video update on Wednesday that this is what caught retail investors off-guard.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 16, 2026

The show's meteoric success has caught industry insiders, critics, and even the creators and stars themselves, off-guard.

From BBC • Feb. 26, 2026

Emails obtained by The Times suggest that city officials were also caught off-guard by the Waymo lots, and learned about the two stations only after residents started to complain about the noise.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 24, 2025

Nigel looked up from his rummaging and seemed caught a bit off-guard.

From "It All Comes Down to This" by Karen English

off-guard

Example Sentences

Related Words