INSIDIOUS


Meaning of INSIDIOUS in English

transcription, транскрипция: [ in-ˈsi-dē-əs ]

adjective

Etymology: Latin insidiosus, from insidiae ambush, from insidēre to sit in, sit on, from in- + sedēre to sit — more at sit

Date: 1545

1.

a. : awaiting a chance to entrap : treacherous

b. : harmful but enticing : seductive

insidious drugs

2.

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

• in·sid·i·ous·ly adverb

• in·sid·i·ous·ness noun

Merriam-Webster's Collegiate English vocabulary.      Энциклопедический словарь английского языка Merriam Webster.