security blanket
noun
Simple meaning
Any object one uses to have a sense of security or reduced anxiety.
Pronunciation
Say it like this:
sihkyooruhteeblangkuhtSay the bold part a little louder.
IPA pronunciation (US)
sɪkˈjʊɹətibˈlæŋkət
This word is pronounced essentially the same in American and British English, so one transcription covers both.
IPA (International Phonetic Alphabet) is a standard way of writing speech sounds.
Definition
Everyday modern meanings first, grouped by part of speech.
noun
Any object one uses to have a sense of security or reduced anxiety.
A blanket that one uses to have a secure feeling or reduced anxiety, usually in the early years of life.
Word Aura™
How this word commonly comes across.
This meaning: Any object one uses to have a sense of security or reduced anxiety.
Used this way, security blanket is a reasonably familiar word with a clearly unfavourable pull. It sounds natural in ordinary conversation and in expressive writing alike.
- Emotional tone
- Negative
- Formality
- Neutral
- Intensity
- Moderate
- How common
- Moderately common
- Connotation
- Serious and weighty
- Usage feel
- Everyday but emotionally strong
Word Aura describes common impressions, not a measurement. Tone changes with sentence, speaker, relationship and situation.
Share your sentence
Use This Word
See how this word sounds in a real sentence.
Ask Vocabaura
Understand the word your way.
What Does It Mean Here?
Words can change meaning depending on context.
Use it yourself
Knowing “security blanket” starts when you use it. Pick a next step, all free.
Dictionary data from Wiktionary via the Free Dictionary API. Simple meanings, combinations and word intelligence are built from verified reference data, no AI is used to load this page.