lower one's guard
Drop defensive posture
To lower one's guard is to relax vigilance or become less defensive, leaving oneself vulnerable to attack or criticism.
The phrase comes from boxing, where dropping protective hands exposes the face.
In everyday use, it describes becoming emotionally open or careless after a period of caution: I finally lowered my guard around her.
Don't lower your guard just because things seem calm.
- trust-buildingEstablishing mutual confidence
- build bridgesEstablish connections between parties
- surrenderCease resistance, yield
- reconciliationRestoration of friendly relations
- opennessQuality of being accessible
trust · exposure · cooperation · intimacy · bare one's soul · forgiveness · risk-taking · rapport · heart to heart · honesty · naivety · disarmament · complacency · empathy · insecurity · unpreparedness · relaxation · yielding
lower one's guardkeep one's guard up
Remain watchfully protective
stay alert · be on the lookout · watch one's back · steel oneself · keep watch
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