insecure

adjective

in·​se·​cure ˌin-si-ˈkyu̇r 

1

a

: deficient in assurance : beset by fear and anxiety

always felt insecure in a group of strangers

b

: not highly stable or well-adjusted

an insecure marriage

2

: not confident or sure : uncertain

feeling somewhat insecure of his reception

3

: not adequately guarded or sustained : unsafe

an insecure investment

4

: not firmly fastened or fixed : shaky

the hinge is loose and insecure

5

: unable to reliably afford or access what is needed to meet one's basic needs

families that are housing insecure [=that are at risk of losing their housing]

see also food insecure

insecurely adverb

insecureness noun

Word Icons

Synonyms

• lax
• loose
• loosened
• relaxed
• slack
• slackened
• unsecured

Examples of insecure in a Sentence

I feel shy and insecure around strangers.

One of the building's rear doors was insecure.

The country's borders remain insecure.

Recent Examples on the Web

The residents of the Southern Tier of New York will get no revenue from their natural gas bounty, and the residents of the New York City metropolitan region will continue to have an insecure supply of power. —Daniel Markind, Forbes, 19 Dec. 2024

Part of the fixation on cultural algorithms is a product of the insecure position in which cultural gatekeepers find themselves. —T.m. Brown, The Atlantic, 16 Dec. 2024

Angela is both recklessly horny and profoundly insecure, a combination that is powerfully recognizable to anyone who’s ever been 15. —Meredith Blake, Los Angeles Times, 13 Dec. 2024

The insecure bafflement over Photorealism was reflected in a sudden ‘70s glut of competing terms — Superrealism, Hyperrealism, Sharp-focus Realism, Post-Pop Illusionism, New Realism, Radical Realism. —Christopher Knight, Los Angeles Times, 4 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Medieval Latin insecurus, from Latin in- + securus secure

First Known Use

1646, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Phrases Containing insecure

• food insecure

Kids Definition

insecure

adjective

in·​se·​cure ˌin(t)-si-ˈkyu̇(ə)r 

1

: not confident or sure : uncertain

felt insecure about their response

2

: not well protected : not safe

insecure property

3

: not firmly fastened : loose

an insecure hinge

4

: lacking self-assurance

insecure people

insecurely adverb

insecurity

-ˈkyu̇r-ət-ē 

noun

Medical Definition

insecure

adjective

in·​se·​cure ˌin(t)-si-ˈkyu̇(ə)r 

: characterized by or causing emotional insecurity

an insecure childhood

Legal Definition

insecure

adjective

in·​se·​cure

: having a good faith belief that the prospect of receiving payment or performance from a party with whom one has contracted is impaired

insecurity noun