to have your guard up | Speak Mango

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to have your guard up

to be defensive or cautious · to be unwilling to trust others easily

💡 What's the situation?

Ever been in a new social setting or met someone new and felt like you needed to protect yourself emotionally? 🛡️ This expression perfectly describes that feeling of being defensive or cautious, not ready to fully trust or open up yet. It's like your emotional shield is up! ✨

💬 Learn with dialogue!

Mike, you seem a bit closed off lately. Is everything alright?

Yeah, I'm just feeling like I need to have my guard up right now, Sarah. Going through some stuff.

I understand. Just know I'm here if you ever want to talk.

🍯 Teacher's Tip!

💡 **Pro Tip!** This phrase implies a temporary state, often due to past experiences or an unfamiliar situation. It’s not necessarily a bad thing; sometimes it's wise to 'have your guard up' until you feel comfortable. Just remember to eventually let it down when it feels safe! 😉

🔥 Today's Mission!

When would you most likely use 'to have your guard up'? A. When you're completely relaxed and open with new friends. B. When you're meeting new people after a difficult breakup and feel cautious. C. When you're excitedly planning a fun trip with close family.

Check Answer 👇

B

#idiom #emotion #defensive #trust #cautious

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English conversationDaily EnglishOne sentence a dayEnglish expressionSpeak Mangostudy EnglishEnglish learninglearn EnglishEmotional Expressionsto have your guard up meaningto have your guard up definition

📚 How about these expressions?

to have a sneaking suspicion

to suspect something secretly · to have an intuition about something

What's the situation?

Ever feel like something is up, but you can't quite put your finger on it? 🤔 Maybe you have a hunch about who ate the last cookie, or you suspect a secret surprise party is being planned for you! 🎉 This phrase is perfect for those gut feelings you have, especially when you think something might be true but don't have solid proof yet. It often hints at a slight negative or mischievous undertone, but can be used for positive surprises too! 🕵️‍♀️✨

to be aghast

filled with horror or shock · very dismayed

What's the situation?

This expression describes being filled with intense shock, horror, or dismay, often by something unexpected or unpleasant. Imagine discovering something truly unbelievable or appalling! 😱 It's stronger than just 'surprised' or 'shocked' and implies a deeper sense of outrage or profound disappointment.

to be turned off by something

lose interest in · find unappealing or unattractive · be discouraged by

What's the situation?

This expression is super useful when something makes you lose interest or find a person/thing unappealing. 👎 It's not about being offended, but more about a strong sense of 'nope' or 'that's not for me.' For example, if someone chews loudly, you might be 'turned off' by it. 😬

to be in a whirlwind of emotions

feeling many strong, often confusing emotions at once · experiencing intense emotional turmoil

What's the situation?

Imagine getting a big promotion, graduating, and moving to a new city all in the same week! 🎉 You're excited, nervous, a little sad about leaving, and totally overwhelmed. That's when you might say you're 'in a whirlwind of emotions'. It's like your feelings are doing a chaotic dance!

to get your act together

to organize yourself and deal with your problems effectively · to become more disciplined and responsible

What's the situation?

Ever felt like your life is a beautiful mess? 😅 This expression is perfect for those moments when you (or someone else) need to buckle down, organize thoughts, and tackle challenges head-on. It’s like saying, 'Okay, time to sort things out and get serious!' 💪

to agonize over something

to worry intensely about something · to be in mental anguish over a decision

What's the situation?

Ever found yourself replaying a decision in your head a thousand times? 😫 Or maybe you're stuck between two options and just can't make up your mind? This phrase perfectly captures that intense emotional struggle. It's when you're not just thinking, but *really* suffering over a choice or a problem! 🤔💔

📚 How about these expressions?

to have a sneaking suspicion

to suspect something secretly · to have an intuition about something

What's the situation?

Ever feel like something is up, but you can't quite put your finger on it? 🤔 Maybe you have a hunch about who ate the last cookie, or you suspect a secret surprise party is being planned for you! 🎉 This phrase is perfect for those gut feelings you have, especially when you think something might be true but don't have solid proof yet. It often hints at a slight negative or mischievous undertone, but can be used for positive surprises too! 🕵️‍♀️✨

to be aghast

filled with horror or shock · very dismayed

What's the situation?

This expression describes being filled with intense shock, horror, or dismay, often by something unexpected or unpleasant. Imagine discovering something truly unbelievable or appalling! 😱 It's stronger than just 'surprised' or 'shocked' and implies a deeper sense of outrage or profound disappointment.

to be turned off by something

lose interest in · find unappealing or unattractive · be discouraged by

What's the situation?

This expression is super useful when something makes you lose interest or find a person/thing unappealing. 👎 It's not about being offended, but more about a strong sense of 'nope' or 'that's not for me.' For example, if someone chews loudly, you might be 'turned off' by it. 😬

to be in a whirlwind of emotions

feeling many strong, often confusing emotions at once · experiencing intense emotional turmoil

What's the situation?

Imagine getting a big promotion, graduating, and moving to a new city all in the same week! 🎉 You're excited, nervous, a little sad about leaving, and totally overwhelmed. That's when you might say you're 'in a whirlwind of emotions'. It's like your feelings are doing a chaotic dance!

to get your act together

to organize yourself and deal with your problems effectively · to become more disciplined and responsible

What's the situation?

Ever felt like your life is a beautiful mess? 😅 This expression is perfect for those moments when you (or someone else) need to buckle down, organize thoughts, and tackle challenges head-on. It’s like saying, 'Okay, time to sort things out and get serious!' 💪

to agonize over something

to worry intensely about something · to be in mental anguish over a decision

What's the situation?

Ever found yourself replaying a decision in your head a thousand times? 😫 Or maybe you're stuck between two options and just can't make up your mind? This phrase perfectly captures that intense emotional struggle. It's when you're not just thinking, but *really* suffering over a choice or a problem! 🤔💔

to have a sneaking suspicion

to suspect something secretly · to have an intuition about something

What's the situation?

Ever feel like something is up, but you can't quite put your finger on it? 🤔 Maybe you have a hunch about who ate the last cookie, or you suspect a secret surprise party is being planned for you! 🎉 This phrase is perfect for those gut feelings you have, especially when you think something might be true but don't have solid proof yet. It often hints at a slight negative or mischievous undertone, but can be used for positive surprises too! 🕵️‍♀️✨

to be aghast

filled with horror or shock · very dismayed

What's the situation?

This expression describes being filled with intense shock, horror, or dismay, often by something unexpected or unpleasant. Imagine discovering something truly unbelievable or appalling! 😱 It's stronger than just 'surprised' or 'shocked' and implies a deeper sense of outrage or profound disappointment.

to be turned off by something

lose interest in · find unappealing or unattractive · be discouraged by

What's the situation?

This expression is super useful when something makes you lose interest or find a person/thing unappealing. 👎 It's not about being offended, but more about a strong sense of 'nope' or 'that's not for me.' For example, if someone chews loudly, you might be 'turned off' by it. 😬

to be in a whirlwind of emotions

feeling many strong, often confusing emotions at once · experiencing intense emotional turmoil

What's the situation?

Imagine getting a big promotion, graduating, and moving to a new city all in the same week! 🎉 You're excited, nervous, a little sad about leaving, and totally overwhelmed. That's when you might say you're 'in a whirlwind of emotions'. It's like your feelings are doing a chaotic dance!

to get your act together

to organize yourself and deal with your problems effectively · to become more disciplined and responsible

What's the situation?

Ever felt like your life is a beautiful mess? 😅 This expression is perfect for those moments when you (or someone else) need to buckle down, organize thoughts, and tackle challenges head-on. It’s like saying, 'Okay, time to sort things out and get serious!' 💪

to agonize over something

to worry intensely about something · to be in mental anguish over a decision

What's the situation?

Ever found yourself replaying a decision in your head a thousand times? 😫 Or maybe you're stuck between two options and just can't make up your mind? This phrase perfectly captures that intense emotional struggle. It's when you're not just thinking, but *really* suffering over a choice or a problem! 🤔💔

to have your guard up example

to be defensive or cautious synonym

another way to say to be defensive or cautious

alternatives to to be defensive or cautious

to be unwilling to trust others easily synonym

another way to say to be unwilling to trust others easily

alternatives to to be unwilling to trust others easily