insecure

adjective

in·se·cure | \ˌin-si-ˈkyu̇r

Definition of insecure

1 : not confident or sure : uncertain feeling somewhat insecure of his reception

2 : not adequately guarded or sustained : unsafe an insecure investment

3 : not firmly fastened or fixed : shaky the hinge is loose and insecure

4a : not highly stable or well-adjusted an insecure marriage

b : deficient in assurance : beset by fear and anxiety always felt insecure in a group of strangers

Other Words from insecure Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about insecure

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Synonyms & Antonyms for insecure

Synonyms

lax, loose, loosened, relaxed, slack, slackened, unsecured

Antonyms

taut, tense, tight

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

At one point in the film, the Prince of Wales—an insecure and violent madman intent on proving his strength to his father, the king—strings up a nobleman at the gate of a castle before slicing open his stomach. — Peter Martin, Popular Mechanics, "How They Made All the Blood and Guts of 'Outlaw King'," 9 Nov. 2018 The benefits of onsite gardens go beyond fresh food (which is a big deal in food-insecure communities). — Patrick Sisson, Curbed, "How urban farms in New York schools are raising food to fight inequality," 27 Sep. 2018 In January a bipartisan group of senators introduced a bill to ban insecure paperless voting machines. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, "Frozen machines, 243-percent turnout, and other woes in Georgia voting," 8 Aug. 2018 The insecure service run by Wisconsin could be reached from Internet addresses based in Russia, which has become notorious for seeking to influence US elections. — Jack Gillum And Jeff Kao, Ars Technica, "File-sharing software on state election servers could expose them to intruders," 5 Nov. 2018 But on the whole, HAVA was the Johnny Appleseed of mediocre security practices, encouraging states to adopt insecure products from largely unregulated companies. — Benjamin Wofford, Vox, "The midterms are already hacked. You just don’t know it yet.," 25 Oct. 2018 Something is making China’s policymakers insecure about their nuclear deterrent. — Kyle Mizokami, Popular Mechanics, "China Is Building More Nuclear-Armed Submarines," 24 Oct. 2018 The partner may have no idea that the woman is feeling insecure or anxious. — Gigi Engle, Marie Claire, "Why Can't I Have an Orgasm?," 28 May 2018 Reminding myself of that has helped me become less insecure. — Jacqueline Andriakos, SELF, "9 People Describe What It's Really Like to Have Eczema," 14 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'insecure.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.