English Explanatory Dictionary

insidious

English dictionary entry

Meanings

adj
  1. Causing harm in a stealthy, often gradual, manner.
  2. Intending to entrap; alluring but harmful.
  3. Treacherous.

Pronunciation

/ɪnˈsɪdi.əs/ LL-Q1860 (eng)-Wodencafe-insidious.wav

Word forms

insidious more insidious most insidious

Etymology

From Middle French insidieux, from Latin īnsidiōsus (“cunning, artful, deceitful”), from īnsidiae (“a lying in wait, an ambush, artifice, stratagem”) + -ōsus, from īnsideō (“to sit in or on”), from in (“in, on”) + sedeō (“to sit”).

Synonyms

subtle perfidious proditorious traitorous booky dastardly disleal disloyal double-crossing double-dealing double-faced double-hearted doublehearted faithless false falseheart false-hearted guiled guileful hollow-hearted illoyal infidelitous insidious Judaslike Judasly nonfaithful proditory Punic ratlike recreant renegade reptilian reptitious swike traitorish traitorlike traitorly traitorsome treacherous treachersome trothless unfaithful unleal unloyal unsteadfast untrue viperish viperous

Derived words

insidiously insidiousness uninsidious
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