insecure

adj

Etymology: From in- + secure, or from Medieval Latin insēcūrus, itself from in- (“in-, un-, non-”) + sēcūrus (“safe, certain”). Piecewise doublet of unsecure and unsure.

1. Not secure.

   “It was, as Carrados explained, entirely his own preposterous fault. Nothing but curiosity about the size of the room had impelled him to touch the walls, and the picture, having a weak cord or an insecure nail ... had it not brought something else down in its fall?”

   “The Yung-li ruler, finding Chao-ch’ing insecure, fled to Wu-chou (梧州), Kuangsi province, and then to Kuei-lin, vigorously pursued by the Manchu army.”

2. Not comfortable or confident in oneself or in certain situations.

   “He's a nice guy and all, but seems to be rather insecure around other people.”

   “Imagine being so insecure that you make it against the law for folks to dislike you.”