Synonyms of secure

secure 1 of 2

verb

1

as in to protect

to drive danger or attack away from

sent troops to secure the city

Synonyms & Similar Words

• protect
• defend
• safeguard
• guard
• shield
• keep
• fence
• fend
• prevent
• save
• ward
• bulwark
• preserve
• cover
• stand up for
• screen
• forfend
• conserve
• withstand
• avert
• resist
• oppose
• war
• contend
• fight
• buffer
• picket
• battle
• wall
• palisade

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• attack
• assault
• assail
• submit
• overrun
• yield
• beset
• cave
• bombard
• storm
• besiege
• capitulate

2

as in to ensure

to make sure, certain, or safe

a retirement account that will help to secure our future

Synonyms & Similar Words

• ensure
• assure
• guarantee
• insure
• guaranty
• ice
• cinch
• promise
• certify
• vouch
• warrant
• witness
• pledge
• attest
• swear

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• undermine
• weaken
• enfeeble

3

as in to fasten

to put securely in place or in a desired position

candidates for admission are asked to secure a recent photo to their application forms

Synonyms & Similar Words

• fasten
• clamp
• hitch
• anchor
• catch
• fix
• moor
• set
• embed
• imbed
• entrench
• stuff
• wedge
• intrench
• implant
• lodge
• engrain
• ingrain

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• loose
• loosen
• unfasten
• extract
• pull
• prize
• tear (out)
• unloose
• pry
• wrest
• unloosen
• uproot
• unfix
• yank
• root (out)

4

as in to win

to receive as return for effort

finally secured a job after sending out dozens of applications

Synonyms & Similar Words

• win
• earn
• gain
• reap
• make
• obtain
• garner
• get
• attain
• land
• acquire
• procure
• capture
• realize
• achieve
• carry
• draw
• come by
• bring in
• pull down
• knock down
• accomplish
• bag
• accumulate
• regain
• net
• occupy
• score
• amass
• gross
• clear
• recapture
• annex
• take over
• catch
• rack up
• pick up
• reacquire
• notch (up)
• remake
• reattain

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• lose
• forfeit
• pay
• give
• grant
• yield
• accord
• surrender
• give up
• relinquish
• part (with)
• hand over

secure

2 of 2

adjective

si-ˈkyu̇r 

1

as in confident

having or showing great faith in oneself or one's abilities

he's so secure about winning the marathon that he's practically spent the prize money

Synonyms & Similar Words

• confident
• assured
• optimistic
• hopeful
• proud
• self-confident
• poised
• self-assured
• composed
• serene
• collected
• smug
• tranquil
• unshaken
• cool
• important
• self-asserting
• unperturbed
• coolheaded
• complacent
• rosy
• recollected
• upbeat
• unshakable
• self-possessed
• sanguine
• self-sufficient
• imperturbable
• egotistical
• vain
• disciplined
• unflappable
• self-affected
• self-reliant
• conceited
• egoistical
• egotistic
• self-pleased
• self-complacent
• nerveless
• pompous
• self-centered
• self-contained
• vainglorious
• egoistic
• prideful
• self-contented
• self-satisfied
• self-applauding
• overweening
• self-poised
• self-important
• self-collected
• self-composed
• unself-conscious
• stuck-up
• self-controlled
• self-conceited
• self-promoting

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• insecure
• diffident
• timid
• modest
• meek
• humble
• unassertive
• unassuming
• nervous
• unpretentious
• quiet
• self-distrustful
• reserved
• jumpy
• jittery
• self-doubting
• shy
• bashful
• demure
• overmodest
• mousy
• mousey
• self-reproving
• self-reproachful
• self-critical

2

as in safe

not exposed to the threat of loss or injury

the fortress was thought to be secure against attack

Synonyms & Similar Words

• safe
• alright
• well
• home free
• intact
• unharmed
• all right
• sound
• healthy
• whole
• hale
• unscathed
• uninjured
• unhurt
• scatheless

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• open
• vulnerable
• insecure
• liable
• subject (to)
• unsafe
• susceptible
• exposed
• threatened
• endangered
• imperiled
• violable
• damaged
• imperilled
• injured
• hurt
• wounded
• harmed
• scathed

3

as in protecting

providing safety

escaped to a secure location

Synonyms & Similar Words

• safe
• protecting
• snug
• protected
• sheltered
• guarding
• safeguarding
• defended
• guarded
• sheltering
• shielded
• impregnable
• unassailable
• shielding
• inviolable
• invulnerable
• unconquerable

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• dangerous
• hazardous
• risky
• unsafe
• insecure
• threatening
• perilous
• vulnerable
• unprotected
• menacing
• precarious
• uncertain
• unguarded
• treacherous
• parlous
• undefended
• minatory

4

as in reliable

worthy of one's trust

a fund that should provide them with a secure income in their retirement

Synonyms & Similar Words

• reliable
• safe
• responsible
• good
• true
• steady
• solid
• dependable
• trustworthy
• loyal
• sure
• trusty
• calculable
• tried
• strong
• trustable
• devoted
• constant
• faithful
• steadfast
• fast
• tried-and-true
• effective
• honest
• staunch
• sincere
• proven
• stanch
• sound
• valid
• infallible
• unerring
• validated
• firm
• confirmed
• authenticated
• telling
• unimpeachable
• unquestionable
• true-blue
• faultless
• blameless
• single-minded
• impeccable
• verified
• irreproachable
• attested
• guiltless
• bedrock
• inerrant

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• unsafe
• uncertain
• unreliable
• untrustworthy
• treacherous
• false
• undependable
• disloyal
• untrue
• uncertain
• fickle
• unfaithful
• traitorous
• perfidious
• questionable
• doubtful
• inconstant
• lying
• dodgy
• dishonest
• problematic
• faithless
• shaky
• hazardous
• risky
• problematical
• dubious
• deceitful
• shady
• unsound
• suspect
• debatable
• untruthful
• mendacious
• fishy
• disputable
• recreant
• untried
• unconfirmed
• doubtable

Synonym Chooser

How is the word secure distinct from other similar verbs?

Some common synonyms of secure are assure, ensure, and insure. While all these words mean "to make a thing or person sure," secure implies action taken to guard against attack or loss.

sent reinforcements to secure their position

When can assure be used instead of secure?

The words assure and secure can be used in similar contexts, but assure distinctively implies the removal of doubt and suspense from a person's mind.

I assure you that no harm will be done

How does the word ensure relate to other synonyms for secure?

Ensure, insure, and assure are interchangeable in many contexts where they indicate the making certain or inevitable of an outcome, but ensure may imply a virtual guarantee.

the government has ensured the safety of the refugees

When is it sensible to use insure instead of secure?

While the synonyms insure and secure are close in meaning, insure sometimes stresses the taking of necessary measures beforehand.

careful planning should insure the success of the party

Examples of secure in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

To create humidity, cover the plant with a plastic bag and secure it with a rubber band. —Kim Toscano, Southern Living, 26 Oct. 2024

Hair stylist Aaron Light styled her hair in a ponytail, flipping the ends and securing her signature headband with a tight bow at the back. —Mikelle Street, WWD, 25 Oct. 2024

Adjective

Folding poles may be less secure than those that telescope. —Nancy Lebrun, Verywell Health, 24 Oct. 2024

Here’s to a safe and secure vote, and to our grand exercise in democracy. —Sam Jacobs, TIME, 24 Oct. 2024