Meaning & use
shield
Last updated
Meanings
nouncountable
A piece of protective armor held in front of the body to stop or deflect blows, arrows, and other attacks.
Grammar: Countable: a shield, several shields.
Patterns
- carry a shield
- a shield and sword
- a riot shield
The knight raised his shield as arrows fell around him.
The officers advanced slowly behind their shields.
nouncountablefigurative
A person or thing that protects someone or something from harm, criticism, or an unpleasant experience.
Grammar: Countable; often followed by against or from: a shield against criticism.
Patterns
- a shield against something
- act as a shield
- use something as a shield
The thick hedges acted as a shield against the wind.
She used humor as a shield against awkward questions.
verbtransitive
To protect a person or thing from harm, danger, or an unpleasant experience.
Grammar: Takes an object and is usually followed by from: shield your eyes from the sun.
Patterns
- shield someone from something
- shield something from something
- shield your eyes
He shielded his eyes from the bright headlights.
The new rules aim to shield small firms from heavy fines.
Word forms
| third person singular | shields |
|---|---|
| past tense | shielded |
| past participle | shielded |
| -ing form | shielding |
Common combinations
- shield someone from criticism
- The spokesperson shielded the volunteers from unfair criticism.
- riot shield
- Each officer carried a transparent riot shield.
- heat shield
- The capsule's heat shield protected it during re-entry.
- shield your eyes
- She raised a hand to shield her eyes from the glare.
Synonyms and how they differ
- protect
- The general everyday word; shield often suggests physically blocking or a strong barrier.
- shelter
- Usually means giving cover from weather or danger for a time, rather than blocking attacks.
- screen
- Emphasizes blocking view or harmful influence; shield emphasizes defense against harm.
Opposites
Word family
- shielding noun
- material that blocks heat or radiation, as in radiation shielding
Practice
Sunscreen helps ___ your skin ___ the sun's harmful rays.
Choose one answer.
The verb shield takes an object and the preposition from: shield your skin from the rays. The prepositions at, on, and with do not combine with shield in this protective sense.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “shield”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.