SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
insecure
adjective
Not stable or assured, or lacking confidence about one's position.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Lacking confidence
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topInsecure describes a lack of inner assurance; apprehensive identifies worry about something that may happen.
Not firmly secured
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topA precarious position is insecure because it may fail or change; unsafe emphasizes danger.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See insecure in use
The project's funding remained insecure until the final grant decision.
An insecure new rower doubts whether he deserves his place even though the recorded trials show that he meets the same standard as the others.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license