adjective

• 1Not feeling, showing, or done with confidence and certainty.

  ‘she was feeling nervous, unsure of herself’

  More example sentences

  • ‘she was unsure how to reply’
  • ‘He had lost his confidence on the course and a horse who is unsure of himself is certainly not ready for an Olympic Games.’
  • ‘If you're unsure about a certain switch then you will find a most innovative quick reference fold out card in the glovebox.’
  • ‘It is a common error for such instructions to be omitted and for respondents either to be unsure about how to reply or to make inappropriate selections.’
  • ‘Now the city seems hesitant and confused and unsure of itself.’
  • ‘The inferences made by the psychologists in your report suggest she is insecure or unsure of herself which is why she overreacts so much.’
  • ‘With no one to listen to them, they get trapped in their problems and grow up diffident and unsure of their abilities.’
  • ‘I stand quietly under that glare, unsure of how to reply to such a statement.’
  • ‘Her mother hesitated, unsure of what to do, but when Allyson held on, she slowly wrapped her arms around her as well.’
  • ‘Feeling anxious and unsure of herself, Maxie headed for the door, nearly tripping over a chair in the process.’
  • ‘They're usually reticent, unsure of themselves, hesitant to get involved in a discussion.’
  • ‘Marines engaging in their first combative exercise were often timid and unsure of themselves.’
  • ‘It's overly simplistic to label a player insecure or unsure of his masculinity.’
  • ‘Your confidence is gone, because you are unsure of who you are now and how to be with others.’
  • ‘The manager hesitated, unsure of whether or not he should tell her of the commando unit that had taken his staff room.’
  • ‘AT THE end, he walked to the side of the pitch and hesitated, unsure of what to do in the moment.’
  • ‘At one time or another, every starter has seemed hesitant and unsure of either the snap count or his assignment.’
  • ‘Some firms are unsure of which systems to install and are fearful of getting it wrong.’
  • ‘If you are unsure of your preferences, there are certain characteristics of each style that may help you to decide.’
  • ‘People with bulimia are often unsure of themselves, lack confidence in their abilities or suffer from depression.’
  • ‘Most people may be unsure about where to draw the line between privacy and security, but at least the issue is being brought to their attention.’

  Synonyms

  unconfident, not confident, lacking confidence, lacking self-confidence, not self-assured, lacking assurance, unassertive

  undecided, irresolute, dithering, equivocating, in two minds, in a dilemma, in a quandary, ambivalent, vague

  dubious, doubtful, sceptical, distrustful, suspicious, mistrustful, uncertain, unconvinced

  View synonyms

  1. 1.1(of a fact) not fixed or certain.
     ‘the date is unsure’
     More example sentences

     • ‘It is just that the opening date was unsure.’
     Synonyms

     not fixed, not settled, undecided, indeterminate, uncertain, unknown

     View synonyms