身構え・身がまえ|みがまえmigamae[2]nakadaka (mid-high)

1. nounposture; attitude

• Synonym姿勢しせいNeutralEveryday word for posture or one's attitude toward something; unlike 「身構え」, it does not necessarily imply being on guard.
• Synonym体勢たいせいNeutralFocuses on the body's current position or balance, as in 「体勢を崩す」「寝る体勢」; 「身構え」 is the guarded stance taken for action.
• Synonym構えかまえNeutralCovers martial-arts stances and even a building's structure; more a matter of outward form than the readiness of 「身構え」.
• Related佇まいたたずまいWrittenWritten word for the overall atmosphere a person or building gives off; it has nothing to do with a guarded stance.
• Related身熟しみごなしWrittenWritten and rare; it describes whether one's movements are nimble and crisp, not any stance of readiness.
• Related身のこなしみのこなしNeutralRefers to the grace or poise that shows in how someone moves; neutral in register, with no sense of bracing for anything.
• Antonym無防備むぼうびWrittenWritten word for being defenseless against attack or danger — the very opposite of 「身構え」's state of high readiness.
• Antonym油断ゆだんNeutralCarelessness or a dropped guard; the everyday antonym of the vigilance expressed by 「身構え」.

Use 「身構え」 for the stance or mental readiness taken to meet an attack or move into action, as in 「身構えを取る」「身構える」. For ordinary posture or attitude say 「姿勢」; for a martial-arts stance, 「構え」. The opposite of staying on guard is 「油断」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

1. 危機ききや攻撃こうげきに対応たいおうしたり次つぎの行動こうどうに移うつったりするための体勢たいせいをとること。