human shield
ˈhjuːmən ʃiːld
Definition

Definition of human shield - Reverso English Dictionary

Noun

1.
figurativepeople used to divert attention from accusations
  • The politician used his staff as a human shield.
2.
warfare tacticperson used to deter attacks on a target
  • The captors used hostages as a human shield during the siege..
Add a suggestion |

Expressions with human

human billboardn.
person paid to wear advertisements
He worked as a human billboard to earn extra money.
human touchn.
ability to interact warmly with others
Her human touch made everyone feel welcome.
only humanadj.
having human flaws or making mistakes
Don't be too hard on him; he's only human.
that's only humanexp.
natural for people to make mistakes or feel emotions
Don't worry about the error, that's only human.
err is humanexp.
express that making mistakes is normal for people
Remember, err is human, so don't be too hard on yourself.
I'm only humanexp.
expressing vulnerability or fallibility
I made a mistake, I'm only human.

Expressions with shield

lower one's shieldv.
become less defensive or guarded
After a while, he began to lower his shield and open up.
behind the shieldadv.
in a position of defense or safety
The soldiers stayed behind the shield during the attack.
safety shieldn.
protective barrier or cover that blocks danger from reaching people
The machine must not run unless the safety shield is closed.
face shieldn.
protective cover worn on face to block hazards
Wear a face shield when working with chemicals.
shield from criticismv.
protect someone from negative comments or judgments
The manager tried to shield the team from criticism after the loss.
raise the shieldv.
increase protection or defense
The company raised the shield against cyber threats.
shield bugn.
insect with a shield-like shape
The shield bug rested on the leaf.
riot shieldn.
lightweight handheld shield used for crowd or riot control
The officer raised his riot shield to block the thrown object.
dress shieldn.
pad to prevent sweat stains on clothes
She wore a dress shield to keep her blouse dry.
shield-shapedadj.
resembling the outline of a traditional shield
The logo features a shield-shaped emblem.

Terms related to human shield

💡 Terms in the same lexical field: analogies, antonyms, common collocates, words with same roots, hypernyms…
humanehumanelyhumanityhumanizebarricadebuffercamouflagecoverdefensehostageprotectionsafeguard

Examples of human shield in a sentence

  • He used his family as a human shield against criticism.
  • The soldiers advanced cautiously, aware of the human shield ahead.
  • Using civilians as a human shield is a violation of international law.

View all translations of human shield

✨Click below to see the appropriate translations facing each meaning.
  1. French:bouclier humain, ...
  2. German:menschliches Schutzschild, ...
  3. Italian:scudo umano, ...
  4. Spanish:escudo humano, ...
  5. Portuguese:escudo humano, ...
  6. Chinese:挡箭牌, ...
  7. Japanese:人間の盾, 人間の防御, ...
  8. Arabic:درع بشري, حاجِز بَشَرِي, ...
  9. Hebrew:מָגֵן אֱנוֹשִׁי, מָגֵן חַי, ...
  10. Russian:живой щит, ...
  11. Ukrainian:живий щит, людський щит, ...
  12. Hindi:मानव ढाल, मानव कवच, ...
Browse the dictionary entries starting with “h”:
human security human services human skeleton human spaceflight

Discover how Reverso redefines the dictionary

Go beyond “simple words”

Get more than a simple definition

Go from understanding to mastery

Helping millions of people and large organizations communicate more efficiently and precisely in all languages.
Products
Translate Text
Translate Documents
Translation in Context
Grammar Check
Synonyms
Conjugation
Free apps
Reverso for Mac/Windows
Reverso for iOS/Android
Reverso for Chrome/Edge
Offers
Reverso Premium
Reverso Corporate Translator
FAQ
|
Contact
|
About Reverso
|
Terms & Conditions
|
Privacy Settings
|
Privacy Policy
©2026 Reverso. All rights reserved.
English Chinese Dictionary|English Swedish Dictionary|English Romanian Dictionary|English Portuguese Dictionary|English Polish Dictionary|English Dutch Dictionary|English Korean Dictionary|English Japanese Dictionary|English Hebrew Dictionary|English Spanish Dictionary|English German Dictionary|English Arabic Dictionary|English Turkish Dictionary|English Russian Dictionary|English Italian Dictionary|English Ukrainian Dictionary|English French Dictionary|English Vietnamese Dictionary|English Bengali Dictionary|English Danish Dictionary|English Greek Dictionary|English Hindi Dictionary|English Brazilian Portuguese Dictionary|English Persian Dictionary|English Thai Dictionary|English Catalan Dictionary|English Czech Dictionary|English Hungarian Dictionary|English Khmer Dictionary