insecure

in-se-cure · adjective

imported

Definitions

adjective

  1. 1.

    Lacking confidence in oneself; feeling uncertain or anxious.

  2. 2.

    Not firmly fixed or stable; liable to give way or fail.

  3. 3.

    Not adequately protected or guarded; vulnerable to danger or threat.

  4. 4.

    (of a job or situation) Uncertain; at risk of being lost.

Phrases & expressions

  • •
    feel insecure — to experience self-doubt or anxiety
  • •
    insecure attachment — (psychology) an unhealthy bond formed in childhood

Related words

Antonyms: confident, safe, secure
See also: anxious, insecurity, secure
Synonyms: anxious, uncertain, vulnerable

Etymology

From in- ("not") + secure, from Latin securus ("free from care"), from se- ("without") + cura ("care"). The psychological sense developed in the 20th century.