insidious
insidious — adjective
- insidiouspositive
- more insidiouscomparative
- most insidioussuperlative
1. quietly and slowly doing serious damage that stays hidden until it is too late t
quietly and slowly doing serious damage that stays hidden until it is too late to stop
The insidious leak behind Lisa's wall rotted the wooden beams before she noticed the stain.
collocation: insidious leak
Nadia felt fine until a routine scan showed her insidious high blood pressure had already hardened her arteries.
collocation: insidious + medical condition
The insidious mould in Rachid's basement spread through every wall over the course of one winter.
Six years of insidious liver disease destroyed Mira's organ before she ever felt a single ache.
The insidious rust inside the bridge cables ate through the steel strand by strand until the span collapsed.
- subtle
less negative; a subtle change may be harmless, while an insidious change is definitely damaging
- stealthy
focuses on quiet, deliberate movement to avoid detection, not on gradual cumulative harm
- pernicious
more formal; emphasises the destructiveness of the harm more than the secrecy
用法筆記
Describes processes, diseases, or influences that cause damage gradually and without being detected. Distinguish from sense 2 (LYING IN WAIT): this sense does not imply deliberate human scheming or treachery.
常見錯誤
2. seeming harmless but secretly waiting for the right moment to trap or betray
seeming harmless but secretly waiting for the right moment to trap or betray
Defne sensed an insidious purpose behind the investor's friendly questions about debt — he was mapping every weakness she revealed.
collocation: insidious purpose
General Hamza's insidious strategy lured the enemy into a narrow valley before the ambush.
collocation: insidious strategy
Andrei spotted the insidious clause on page seven — the landlord could seize his deposit for any reason.
Hana called the 'free holiday' pop-up an insidious attempt to steal her brother's passwords and credit card details.
Kabir found the salesman's insidious charm hid a contract stuffed with hidden fees and a worthless warranty.
- treacherous
more general; not necessarily hidden or waiting for the right moment
- deceitful
broader; covers any dishonesty, while insidious implies a calculated trap
- sly
less formal; emphasises cunning more than the harm intended
- straightforward
honest and without hidden traps
用法筆記
Subject is typically a person, their words, or a legal or contractual provision. Distinguish from sense 1: this sense requires deliberate human intent to entrap, not a natural or accidental process.
3. appearing attractive or alluring while actually being dangerous or damaging — th
appearing attractive or alluring while actually being dangerous or damaging — the appeal itself is what makes the harm hard to resist
The insidious appeal of the gambling app slowly drained Shirin's savings until her rent payment bounced.
collocation: insidious appeal
The cult leader's insidious message of belonging drew vulnerable teenagers away from their families.
collocation: insidious message
Heloísa watched the insidious comfort of painkillers turn, over two years, into a full addiction.
Nellie recognised the insidious promise of the diet tea — fast results, then her hair began falling out.
用法筆記
Describes things that are dangerous precisely because they are attractive. Common with nouns that carry a positive surface meaning: appeal, charm, promise, comfort, message.