modified
protective, protecting, defending, shielding, guarding, safeguarding, warding off, watchful, wary, guarded, preventive, averting, forestalling, foiling, balking, arresting, checking, frustrating, thwarting, opposing, resistive, withstanding, armored, on the defensive, in self-defense, in opposition, self-justifying, touchy, prickly, self-protective; see also armed, irritable, unfriendly 1.
Antonyms aggressive*, offensive, combative.
