insecure
Americanadjective
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subject to fears, doubts, etc.; not self-confident or assured.
an insecure person.
-
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
-
anxious or afraid; not confident or certain
-
not adequately protected
an insecure fortress
-
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.
“If I didn’t, I would feel insecure, like I looked ugly.”
From Los Angeles Times
Failing to get enough "likes" on her social media posts left her feeling "insecure" or "ugly" she said.
From BBC
He could be insecure; she could be insensitive.
From Literature
"While it's exciting and curious to see what an AI agent can do without any security guardrails, this level of access is also extremely insecure," he said.
From BBC
Protecting Yourself on Public Wi-Fi: Coffee shops, airports, hotels and other public hotspots are notoriously insecure.
From Salon
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.
