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

If a simple fish tank sensor can expose an organization’s entire trove of sensitive data, imagine what could happen with a fleet of insecure devices spread across an enterprise. —Austin Gadient, Forbes, 21 Feb. 2025

IndieWire got a peek at the first four episodes: The first kicks off with Laurie (Rosie Foss), the insecure daughter of Coach Dan (Will Forte), who’s hitless and constantly breaks out into a sweat that eventually transforms into a blobby companion called Sweaty (Jo Firestone). —Bill Desowitz, IndieWire, 21 Feb. 2025

Since her rhinoplasty in November, Devyn Aiken, 30, has documented her recovery for an audience of over 61,000 social media followers Comments Devyn Aiken grew up feeling insecure about her nose, noting she was bullied a lot growing up. —Zoey Lyttle, People.com, 17 Feb. 2025

In terms of sizing, in terms of materials, in terms of things a lot of women are insecure about, like, our stomachs and our arms and, our hip dips and so on. —Kerane Marcellus, Essence, 14 Feb. 2025

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