unsure

adjective

un·​sure ˌən-ˈshu̇r 

-ˈshər,

 especially Southern  -ˈshȯr

: not marked by or given to feelings of confident certainty : not sure

was unsure of what to do

Phrases

unsure of oneself

: lacking confidence in one's abilities

… he's a little unsure of himself when it comes to the music world …

—Seth Mnookin

Synonyms

• distrustful
• doubtful
• dubious
• hinky [slang]
• mistrustful
• skeptical
• suspicious
• trustless
• uncertain
• unconvinced
• undecided
• unsettled

Examples of unsure in a Sentence

unsure of her ability to handle the pressure of competing in the Olympic Games

Recent Examples on the Web

However, some companies may find some of the terms confusing or may be unsure whether to report—in some cases, an advisor may know more about the structure of the company than the owners. Expect to hear more about the CTA as the deadline for existing companies to report creeps closer. —Kelly Phillips Erb, Forbes, 21 Sep. 2024

The show includes information about their escape routes and personal accounts of racial profiling by German police, as well as feeling trapped and unsure about wanting to stay in Germany. —The Editors Of Artnews, ARTnews.com, 19 Sep. 2024

All except four of them remain behind bars, some facing charges spanning from terrorism and incitement to hatred, while others are unsure even of what they are accused. —Stefano Pozzebon, CNN, 18 Sep. 2024

Until now, astronomers have been unsure how to search for black holes of a particularly pesky size — those that are too small for their gravity to bend star light. —Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 17 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above