insidiously

IPA/ɪnˈsɪdiəsli/
IPA/ɪnˈsɪdiəsli/

insidiously — 副詞

1. causing harm little by little without being noticed, so that by the time the pro

1.副詞C1
釋義

暗中侵蝕

暗中逐漸造成傷害

causing harm little by little without being noticed, so that by the time the problem is found, the damage is already serious

例句

The illness spread insidiously through the village before anyone noticed the danger.

這種疾病在村裡暗中擴散，等到有人發現危險時已為時已晚。

collocation: spread insidiously

Water had damaged the wall insidiously for years before Yael noticed the crack.

水多年來暗中侵蝕著牆壁，Yael 注意到裂縫時已經太遲了。

collocation: damaged + insidiously + time span

同義詞
  • stealthily

    more about moving quietly to avoid being seen; describes physical actions rather than processes

  • surreptitiously

    more about doing something secretly because it is not allowed or would be disapproved of

  • imperceptibly

    more about change so gradual it cannot be noticed at all; neutral, not necessarily harmful

  • subtly

    more about something delicate, indirect, or not obvious; not necessarily harmful

反義詞
  • openly

    done without hiding; visible to everyone

  • overtly

    done in a way that is clearly meant to be seen

用法筆記

Typically modifies verbs describing slow negative processes: spread, creep, grow, undermine, wear down. The subject is usually something harmful (a disease, an idea, a feeling), not a person carrying out a single hidden act.

常見錯誤

❌He insidiously stole the documents from my desk.
✅He secretly stole the documents from my desk.
💡'insidiously' describes a slow hidden process that builds up over time, not a single deliberate act. For one-off hidden actions, use 'secretly' or 'stealthily'.