Word.ws English Dictionary

Synonyms of defend

13 similar words · 1 opposite word

Another word for defend is protect. Other synonyms of defend are guard, shield and ward. The opposite of defend is attack.

Synonyms and similar words for defend

verbMore synonyms

  • beshieldTo shield around or about; protect; defend.
  • bewardTo guard about or completely; protect.
  • brood
  • cape for slang
  • fendTo defend, to take care of (typically construed with for); to block or push away (typically construed with off).
  • guardTo protect from danger; to secure against surprise, attack, or injury; to keep in safety; to defend.
  • preserve
  • protectTo keep safe; to defend; to guard; to prevent harm coming to.
  • safeguard
  • secure
  • shelter
  • shieldTo protect, to defend.
  • wardTo defend, to protect.

Opposite of defend

verbMore antonyms

Meaning of defend

  1. verb To ward off attacks against (something or someone).
  2. verb To ward off attacks from (something or someone).
  3. verb To support by words or writing; to vindicate, talk in favour of.

Full definition of defend

defend in other languages

Questions about synonyms of defend

What is another word for defend?
Defend has 13 synonyms on Word.ws, such as protect, guard, shield and ward.
What is the opposite of defend?
The opposite of defend is attack.
What does defend mean?
Defend means to ward off attacks against (something or someone).

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: defend (page history and authors) and the entries of the words listed. Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws grouped the synonyms and antonyms by meaning and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this page: “Synonyms of defend.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/synonyms/defend. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.