insecure

[in-si-kyoor]

adjective

1. subject to fears, doubts, etc.; not self-confident or assured.

   an insecure person.

2. not confident or certain; uneasy; anxious.

   He was insecure about the examination.

3. not secure; exposed or liable to risk, loss, or danger.

   an insecure stock portfolio.

   Synonyms: risky

4. not firmly or reliably placed or fastened.

   an insecure ladder.

insecure

/ ˌɪnsɪˈkjʊə /

adjective

1. anxious or afraid; not confident or certain

2. not adequately protected

   an insecure fortress

3. unstable or shaky

Other Word Forms

• insecurely adverb
• insecureness noun
• insecurity noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of insecure¹

From the Medieval Latin word insēcūrus, dating back to 1640–50. See in- ³, secure

Synonym Study

See uncertain.

Example Sentences

"We all have a part of ourselves we feel isn't good enough - that we're either very insecure or even angry about."

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The issue with a swag gap, according to TikToker Isabella Duffy, is if the partner with less swag feels left behind or insecure.

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In that song, Charli writes about feeling insecure about a woman who shows up backstage at her boyfriend's gig.

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“I’m as insecure as the next actress and I was like, good Lord, this is an opportunity.”

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Those stemmed from the FBI’s raid on Mar-a-Lago in August 2022, which uncovered dozens of boxes of highly classified documents stored in insecure settings.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

• afraid 
• anxious 
• apprehensive 
• hesitant 
• shaky 
• touchy 
• troubled www.thesaurus.com
• unsure 
• uptight 

When To Use

What does insecure mean?

Insecure means subject to fears and doubt, as in Sally was such an insecure person that she didn’t believe she did anything well, even when she got A’s on her tests.Insecure can also mean anxious or uneasy, as in Tom was insecure about his chances for a promotion, worrying about it so much that he couldn’t sleep at night.Insecure can mean not secure, that is, exposed to danger or risk. A safe with a broken lock would be an insecure safe. Anyone could open the safe and take what was inside.Lastly, insecure can refer to something that is not firmly placed or fastened, as with a fire escape that is not completely fastened to a building.Example: The bankrobbers easily broke into the insecure vault and escaped with all of the money.