insidious
insidious — 形容詞
- insidiouspositive
- more insidiouscomparative
- most insidioussuperlative
1. quietly and slowly doing serious damage that stays hidden until it is too late t
暗中侵蝕
暗中逐漸侵蝕，發現時傷害往往已深
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.
Lisa 牆後那暗中侵蝕的滲漏早已蛀壞了木樑，她看見污漬時才驚覺不妙。
collocation: insidious leak
Nadia felt fine until a routine scan showed her insidious high blood pressure had already hardened her arteries.
Nadia 自覺一切正常，直到例行掃描才發現，暗中侵蝕的高血壓已讓她的動脈硬化。
collocation: insidious + medical condition
The insidious mould in Rachid's basement spread through every wall over the course of one winter.
Rachid 地下室那暗中侵蝕的黴菌，在一個冬天內便蔓延到每一面牆。
Six years of insidious liver disease destroyed Mira's organ before she ever felt a single ache.
暗中侵蝕的肝病拖了六年，Mira 從未感到一絲疼痛，器官卻已徹底壞死。
The insidious rust inside the bridge cables ate through the steel strand by strand until the span collapsed.
橋樑纜線內的鏽蝕暗中侵蝕，一根根鋼絲逐一斷裂，直到整段橋面坍塌。
- 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
暗藏禍心
表面無害，實則暗藏陷害或背叛的意圖
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.
Defne 察覺到那位投資人詢問債務的友善問題背後暗藏禍心——他正在逐一記錄她暴露的每個弱點。
collocation: insidious purpose
General Hamza's insidious strategy lured the enemy into a narrow valley before the ambush.
Hamza 將軍暗藏禍心的策略，將敵軍誘入狹窄山谷，然後發動伏擊。
collocation: insidious strategy
Andrei spotted the insidious clause on page seven — the landlord could seize his deposit for any reason.
Andrei 發現合約第七頁那條暗藏禍心的條款——房東可以毫無理由地扣押他的押金。
Hana called the 'free holiday' pop-up an insidious attempt to steal her brother's passwords and credit card details.
Hana 說那個「免費假期」彈出視窗是暗藏禍心的企圖，要竊取弟弟的密碼和信用卡資料。
Kabir found the salesman's insidious charm hid a contract stuffed with hidden fees and a worthless warranty.
Kabir 發現那位銷售員暗藏禍心的魅力背後，是一份塞滿隱藏費用的合約和形同虛設的保固。
- 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
糖衣毒藥
看似吸引人，實則帶來傷害
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.
那個賭博應用程式糖衣毒藥般的吸引力，慢慢掏空了 Shirin 的積蓄，直到房租扣款失敗她才驚覺不對。
collocation: insidious appeal
The cult leader's insidious message of belonging drew vulnerable teenagers away from their families.
邪教領袖糖衣毒藥般的歸屬感訊息，將脆弱的青少年從家人身邊拉走。
collocation: insidious message
Heloísa watched the insidious comfort of painkillers turn, over two years, into a full addiction.
Heloísa 眼睜睜看著止痛藥糖衣毒藥般的慰藉，在兩年內變成了徹底的成癮。
Nellie recognised the insidious promise of the diet tea — fast results, then her hair began falling out.
Nellie 看穿了那款減肥茶糖衣毒藥般的承諾——快速見效，然後頭髮開始脫落。
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.