lifeguard

noun

life·​guard ˈlīf-ˌgärd How to pronounce lifeguard (audio)
: a usually expert swimmer employed (as at a beach or a pool) to safeguard other swimmers
lifeguard intransitive verb

Examples of lifeguard in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The father and son had a chance to talk to the lifeguard and his father. — ABC News, 4 Aug. 2026 Sumit Rai also expressed gratitude for the other lifeguard who assisted and the good Samaritans who jumped in to help save his son. — Kelsie Hoffman, CBS News, 4 Aug. 2026 Williams said he was hit with two or three more waves and was focused on keeping Nathaniel out of the water before another lifeguard, identified as Aaron Bohnen, got in the water to help. — Charlotte Phillipp, PEOPLE, 3 Aug. 2026 The intense conditions have prompted thousands of lifeguard rescues along the coast. — Noah Haggerty, Los Angeles Times, 2 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for lifeguard

Word History

First Known Use

1893, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of lifeguard was in 1893

Rhymes for lifeguard

See All Rhymes for lifeguard

Browse Nearby Words

life goes on
lifeguard
Life Guardsman
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Lifeguard.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lifeguard. Accessed 7 Aug. 2026.

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Kids Definition

lifeguard

noun
life·​guard ˈlīf-ˌgärd How to pronounce lifeguard (audio)
: a usually expert swimmer employed at a beach or swimming pool to protect swimmers from drowning

More from Merriam-Webster on lifeguard

Nglish: Translation of lifeguard for Spanish Speakers

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