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- Dictionaryinsidious/ɪnˈsɪdɪəs/
adjective
- 1. proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with very harmful effects: "sexual harassment is a serious and insidious problem"
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Insidious means gradually and secretly causing harm, especially to health or well-being. Learn how to use this adjective with examples from the Cambridge English Corpus and translations in different languages.
The meaning of INSIDIOUS is having a gradual and cumulative effect : subtle. How to use insidious in a sentence. insidious, sinister, or pernicious?
The word insidious is used to describe something as being stealthy, treacherous, or operating in the shadows, as in He came up with an insidious plan to rob the jewelry store. Insidious is always associated with something negative, implying something is bad or is going to cause harm.
Insidious means gradually and secretly causing harm, especially something unpleasant or dangerous. Learn how to use this adjective with examples from different sources and languages.
Insidious means unpleasant or dangerous and developing gradually without being noticed. See synonyms, examples, word origin and usage in British and American English.
If something is slowly and secretly causing harm, it's insidious — like the rumors no one seems to listen to until suddenly someone's reputation is ruined. Insidious is related to the Latin noun, īnsidiae meaning "ambush" which comes from the Latin verb, īnsidēre "to lie in wait for."
Learn the meaning, pronunciation and usage of the adjective insidious, which means spreading gradually or without being noticed, but causing serious harm. See examples, synonyms and word origin.
