Vocabulary Builder — Essay & Answer Writing
Insidious
adjective
/ in-SID-ee-us /
Medium
Meaning
Proceeding in a gradual, subtle way but with harmful effects; treacherously harmful
Origin / Etymology
Latin insidiosus — cunning, deceitful (insidiae, ambush)
Synonyms
Stealthy
Treacherous
Surreptitious
Antonyms
Overt
Transparent
Forthright
Example Sentence
"Youth suicides represent an insidious social crisis — the damage accumulates silently before manifesting as a devastating public health emergency."
🎯 UPSC Usage
Use in Essay and GS4 (Ethics) when describing problems that are subtle, slow-building, and underestimated. Effective for topics like institutional erosion, climate change, mental health crises, and social inequality.
Relevant Subjects