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
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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
However, this only results in both partners feeling insecure, with no way for either partner to resolve the real issue at hand.
—
Mark Travers, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
The nonprofit found that half of older adults who carried credit card debt feel financially insecure.
—Dan Avery, CNBC, 12 Mar. 2025
Your friend may be feeling insecure about the level of contact these two people have because her relationship is still new.
—R. Eric Thomas, The Denver Post, 2 Mar. 2025
But, oh my goodness, the label Aotearoa New Zealand taunts and provokes the insecure, the historically illiterate, the status-grabbing, the conceited, the dominating, and those for whom the myths and lies of the settler story are truth, are the one world worldview.
—Christine Winter, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insecure
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Mark Travers, Forbes, 16 Mar. 2025
The nonprofit found that half of older adults who carried credit card debt feel financially insecure.
—Dan Avery, CNBC, 12 Mar. 2025
Your friend may be feeling insecure about the level of contact these two people have because her relationship is still new.
—R. Eric Thomas, The Denver Post, 2 Mar. 2025
But, oh my goodness, the label Aotearoa New Zealand taunts and provokes the insecure, the historically illiterate, the status-grabbing, the conceited, the dominating, and those for whom the myths and lies of the settler story are truth, are the one world worldview.
—Christine Winter, Artforum, 1 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for insecure
Cite this Entry
“Insecure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/insecure. Accessed 22 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids 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
Medical Definition
insecure
adjective
in·se·cure
ˌin(t)-si-ˈkyu̇(ə)r
: characterized by or causing emotional insecurity
an insecure childhood
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