insecurity
/ˌɪnsɪˈkjɔːrɪti/ /ˌɪnsɪˈkjʊərɪti
/noun (plural insecurities) [mass noun]
1Uncertainty or anxiety about oneself; lack of confidence: she had a deep sense of insecurity [count noun]: he’s plagued with insecurities...
- You can eliminate your insecurities by practicing racing in your workouts.
- Discussing her insecurity about her looks would also be a sore point.
- There are, nevertheless, fears that arise from the insecurities evident in all groups.
Synonyms
lack of confidence, lack of self-confidence, self-doubt, diffidence, unassertiveness, humility, humbleness, meekness, timidity, timidness, timorousness, uncertainty, nervousness, hesitancy, inhibition, self-consciousness;
anxiety, apprehension, worry, unease, uneasiness
vulnerability, defencelessness, unguardedness, lack of protection, perilousness, peril, danger, riskiness;
instability, fragility, frailty, shakiness, rockiness, unsteadiness, unreliability, tenuousness
informal chanciness, iffiness
British informal dodginess
2The state of being open to danger or threat; lack of protection: growing job insecurity the insecurity of wireless networks...
- Insecurity of land tenure militates against long-term conservation of the land resources.
- Each year our members do more for less and yet face greater insecurity for the future.
- Loose, free-floating minds are dangerous - minds free from debt and economic insecurity start to wander and ask questions.
Synonyms
unstable, unsecured, loose, rickety, rocky, wobbly, shaky, unsteady, precarious;
unsubstantial, weak, flimsy, frail, fragile, spindly, decrepit, unsound, unsafe
informal jerry-built, teetery
British informal wonky, dicky, dodgy