insecure
She felt insecure about her appearance after the comments.
She lacked confidence in her appearance due to negative remarks.
Lacking confidence or self-assurance; feeling uncertain or anxious about oneself.
He was insecure about his job performance and feared criticism.
He lacked confidence in his work and worried about being judged.
Social media can make people feel insecure about their lives.
Social media often causes people to doubt their self-worth.
Often used to describe emotional vulnerability or self-doubt.
Not secure; vulnerable to attack or breach.
The website was insecure because it lacked encryption.
The website was vulnerable to hacking due to missing security measures.
Used in cybersecurity to describe systems lacking protection.
Collocations
Related Phrases
Pro Tip
Emotional vs. Technical Use
Be mindful of context—'insecure' can describe feelings or technical vulnerabilities.
Gold Rule
Avoid Overuse
Using 'insecure' too often can dilute its impact. Use specific synonyms when possible.
Word Origin
From Latin 'in-' (not) + 'securus' (safe, secure). First recorded in the 16th century.
Usage Notes
Commonly used to describe emotional states, but also in technical contexts like cybersecurity.