insecure
- 01 B2 Upper Intermediate
feeling anxious or not confident about yourself or your relationships.
lacking self-confidence or assurance; prone to anxiety about one's worth or the stability of personal relationships.
Simple“He felt insecure about his new job because he didn't have much experience.”
In context“Despite her professional success, she remained deeply insecure about her public speaking abilities, often over-preparing for even the most casual presentations.”
UsageOften followed by the preposition 'about'.
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
not firmly fixed or safe; likely to break, fall, or fail.
not firmly fixed, settled, or guarded; liable to give way, fail, or be compromised.
Simple“The old wooden ladder felt very insecure as I climbed toward the roof.”
In context“The hikers realized the mountain path was insecure after the heavy rains had washed away much of the supporting soil.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
not protected against danger or attacks, especially in a digital or legal way.
deficient in protection or safety measures; frequently used in technical contexts regarding data or financial stability.
Simple“You should never enter your credit card details on an insecure website.”
In context“The security audit revealed that several legacy servers were running insecure protocols, leaving the entire network vulnerable to external exploitation.”
UsageCommonly used to describe networks, connections, or financial positions.
Synonyms
From in- + secure, or from Medieval Latin insēcūrus, itself from in- (“in-, un-, non-”) + sēcūrus (“safe, certain”). Piecewise doublet of unsecure and unsure.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.