What does “protect” mean?
- 1
verbto keep someone or something safe from harm or damage
Sunscreen protects your skin from the sun.
Protect at a glance
- Part of speech
- verb
- CEFR level
- B1 (intermediate)
- Pronunciation
- /prəˈtɛkt/ · pruh-TEKT
How to use “protect” correctly
Use “protect from” or “protect against”: “protect children from danger”. Don’t say “protect of”.
Common phrases with “protect”
- protect sb from sth
- protect against
- protect the environment
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Synonyms (similar meaning)
- defend
- guard
- shield
Antonyms (opposite meaning)
- attack
- harm
Word family
- protection
- protective
- protector
“protect” is on these word lists
Learn these words next
- affect verbB1to cause a change in someone or something
- appear verbB1to seem
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- beat verbB1to win against someone in a game or competition
- cause verbB1to make something happen, usually something bad
- involve verbB1to include something as a necessary part
- lay verbB1to put someone or something down carefully in a flat position
- occur verbB1to happen, especially without being planned