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
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