insidious

adjective

in·sid·i·ous in-ˈsi-dē-əs How to pronounce insidious (audio)

: having a gradual and cumulative effect : subtle

the insidious pressures of modern life

of a disease : developing so gradually as to be well established before becoming apparent

: awaiting a chance to entrap : treacherous

: harmful but enticing : seductive

insidious drugs

insidiously adverb

insidiousness noun

Did you know?

insidious, sinister, or pernicious?

Few would choose to be associated with people or things that are insidious, sinister, or pernicious; all three of these words have decidedly unpleasant meanings, each with its own particular shade of nastiness.

Insidious comes from a Latin word for “ambush” (insidiae), which is fitting, as this word often carries the meanings “deceitful,” “stealthy,” or “harmful in an imperceptible fashion.” The first two meanings may be applied to people or things (“an insidious enemy,” “an insidious plot”), while the last is usually applied to things (“insidious problems,” “insidious sexism”), in particular to the gradual progress of a disease (“an insidious malignancy”).

Sinister comes from a Latin word meaning “on the left side, unlucky, inauspicious.” Although it is commonly used today in the sense “evil” (“a sinister cult leader”; “a sinister plot”), it may also suggest an ominous foreshadowing of some unfavorable turn of events (“a sinister omen”).

Pernicious has largely stayed true to its etymological root, the Latin noun pernicies “ruin, destruction.” Its original meaning in English, “highly injurious or destructive,” usually applies to things (“pernicious apathy,” “pernicious effects”) and medical conditions (“pernicious fever,” “pernicious anemia”). When applied to people, pernicious means “wicked.”

Example Sentences

But the litigation is also prompting a subtle and insidious change in the way that medicine is practiced, which affects anyone who consults a health professional, even if they would not dream of setting foot in a lawyer's office. It is known as "defensive medicine."

Geoff Watts, New Scientist, 23–29 Oct. 2004 Spin is sometimes dismissed as a simple euphemism for lying. But it's actually something more insidious: indifference to the truth.

Michael Kinsley, Time, 25 Dec. 2000–1 Jan. 2001 As these boats aged and bedding compounds deteriorated, the water torture began, which led to rot, corrosion, and other insidious problems.

Ralph Naranjo, Cruising World, April 1999 Most people with this insidious disease have no idea that they are infected.

Recent Examples on the Web In Minneapolis, that surveillance was so insidious that one of the partners for CVE was Minneapolis Public Schools, meaning even children were subjected to the targeting and profiling emblematic of the program.

Reina Sultan, Essence, 11 Sep. 2022 Nor is there any reason to assume that the Capitol Police or the Metropolitan Police was immune from the insidious bigotry, or infiltration by white supremacists, that plagued other police departments.

Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2022 Eventually, Númenor’s king comes under the insidious influence of Sauron, who had once been Morgoth’s second in command.

John Garth, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Sep. 2022 According to sources, some of the highest-profile leaks over the past year were not the result of a VFX artist intentionally sharing something online in an insidious attempt to spoil a movie.

Carolyn Giardina, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Sep. 2022 All these artists emphasize the insidious identification and positioning that data delivers about our bodies to state actors.

Charlotte Kent, WIRED, 8 Sep. 2022 Instead, art thefts have become more insidious, often occurring little by little over the course of years.

Julie Belcove, Robb Report, 28 Aug. 2022 The ideas are also insidious because many sound like expressions of Christian piety or harmless references to US history.

John Blake, CNN, 24 July 2022 But infiltration of the domestic intelligence service and prosecutors’ office — the very agencies that are intended to find and prosecute traitors — is particularly insidious.

New York Times, 18 July 2022 See More

单词	insidiously
释义	insidious adjective in·sid·i·ous in-ˈsi-dē-əs 1 a : having a gradual and cumulative effect : subtle the insidious pressures of modern life b of a disease : developing so gradually as to be well established before becoming apparent 2 a : awaiting a chance to entrap : treacherous b : harmful but enticing : seductive insidious drugs insidiously adverb insidiousness noun Did you know? insidious, sinister, or pernicious? Few would choose to be associated with people or things that are insidious, sinister, or pernicious; all three of these words have decidedly unpleasant meanings, each with its own particular shade of nastiness. Insidious comes from a Latin word for “ambush” (insidiae), which is fitting, as this word often carries the meanings “deceitful,” “stealthy,” or “harmful in an imperceptible fashion.” The first two meanings may be applied to people or things (“an insidious enemy,” “an insidious plot”), while the last is usually applied to things (“insidious problems,” “insidious sexism”), in particular to the gradual progress of a disease (“an insidious malignancy”). Sinister comes from a Latin word meaning “on the left side, unlucky, inauspicious.” Although it is commonly used today in the sense “evil” (“a sinister cult leader”; “a sinister plot”), it may also suggest an ominous foreshadowing of some unfavorable turn of events (“a sinister omen”). Pernicious has largely stayed true to its etymological root, the Latin noun pernicies “ruin, destruction.” Its original meaning in English, “highly injurious or destructive,” usually applies to things (“pernicious apathy,” “pernicious effects”) and medical conditions (“pernicious fever,” “pernicious anemia”). When applied to people, pernicious means “wicked.” Example Sentences But the litigation is also prompting a subtle and insidious change in the way that medicine is practiced, which affects anyone who consults a health professional, even if they would not dream of setting foot in a lawyer's office. It is known as "defensive medicine." Geoff Watts, New Scientist, 23–29 Oct. 2004 Spin is sometimes dismissed as a simple euphemism for lying. But it's actually something more insidious: indifference to the truth. Michael Kinsley, Time, 25 Dec. 2000–1 Jan. 2001 As these boats aged and bedding compounds deteriorated, the water torture began, which led to rot, corrosion, and other insidious problems. Ralph Naranjo, Cruising World, April 1999 Most people with this insidious disease have no idea that they are infected. Recent Examples on the Web In Minneapolis, that surveillance was so insidious that one of the partners for CVE was Minneapolis Public Schools, meaning even children were subjected to the targeting and profiling emblematic of the program. Reina Sultan, Essence, 11 Sep. 2022 Nor is there any reason to assume that the Capitol Police or the Metropolitan Police was immune from the insidious bigotry, or infiltration by white supremacists, that plagued other police departments. Luke Mogelson, The New Yorker, 10 Sep. 2022 Eventually, Númenor’s king comes under the insidious influence of Sauron, who had once been Morgoth’s second in command. John Garth, Smithsonian Magazine, 9 Sep. 2022 According to sources, some of the highest-profile leaks over the past year were not the result of a VFX artist intentionally sharing something online in an insidious attempt to spoil a movie. Carolyn Giardina, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Sep. 2022 All these artists emphasize the insidious identification and positioning that data delivers about our bodies to state actors. Charlotte Kent, WIRED, 8 Sep. 2022 Instead, art thefts have become more insidious, often occurring little by little over the course of years. Julie Belcove, Robb Report, 28 Aug. 2022 The ideas are also insidious because many sound like expressions of Christian piety or harmless references to US history. John Blake, CNN, 24 July 2022 But infiltration of the domestic intelligence service and prosecutors’ office — the very agencies that are intended to find and prosecute traitors — is particularly insidious. New York Times, 18 July 2022 See More Word History Etymology Latin insidiosus, from insidiae ambush, from insidēre to sit in, sit on, from in- + sedēre to sit — more at sit First Known Use 1545, in the meaning defined at sense 2a Medical Definition insidious adjective in·sid·i·ous in-ˈsid-ē-əs : developing so gradually as to be well established before becoming apparent an insidious disease insidiously adverb as in slyly Synonyms & Similar Words Relevance slyly cunningly craftily underhandedly furtively sharply artfully deceitfully slickly calculatingly deceptively falsely archly shiftily deviously underhanded dishonestly cannily slily underhand unctuously artificially unnaturally pretentiously flatteringly sycophantically hypocritically affectedly insincerely Antonyms & Near Antonyms innocently naturally naively ingenuously naïvely sincerely simply unaffectedly unpretentiously genuinely artlessly guilelessly truly honestly openly freely unfeignedly openheartedly See More
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insidious

adjective

Did you know?

Example Sentences

Word History

Medical Definition

adjective

adverb