insecure
Americanadjective
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subject to fears, doubts, etc.; not self-confident or assured.
an insecure person.
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not confident or certain; uneasy; anxious.
He was insecure about the examination.
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not secure; exposed or liable to risk, loss, or danger.
an insecure stock portfolio.
- Synonyms:
- risky
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not firmly or reliably placed or fastened.
an insecure ladder.
adjective
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anxious or afraid; not confident or certain
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not adequately protected
an insecure fortress
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unstable or shaky
Usage
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.
Related Words
See uncertain.
Other Word Forms
- insecurely adverb
- insecureness noun
- insecurity noun
Etymology
Origin of insecure
From the Medieval Latin word insēcūrus, dating back to 1640–50. See in- 3, secure
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
When Lakurawa initially arrived in the largely Muslim states of Sokoto and Kebbi, the group presented itself as a religious force that wanted to help a vulnerable community in an insecure region.
From BBC
He pointed to research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation which suggested that voters who felt financially insecure were abandoning Labour at a greater rate than those who felt more secure.
From BBC
“It’s a balance between feeling very confident, then it swings to being very insecure about it — and it’s hard to keep sight,” Ross adds.
From Los Angeles Times
In the pilot, she is insecure and self-effacing; when a car almost runs her over, she apologizes to the driver.
From Salon
The nature of work has become more insecure too, particularly for people starting out, with 16-24-year-olds nearly six times more likely to be on a zero-hours contract.
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
