insidiousness
Subtle harmful nature
The quality of being insidious—harmful in a gradual, subtle way that isn't immediately apparent.
Insidiousness suggests danger that works by stealth rather than direct assault: The insidiousness of the disease meant symptoms didn't appear until significant damage was done.
The word often describes threats that exploit trust or appear benign: the insidiousness of propaganda, the insidiousness of addiction.
Sly, strategic dishonesty
- duplicityDeliberate misleading behavior
- deceitDeliberate misleading of others
- manipulationUnderhanded control of others
- trickeryDeliberate deception or fraud
subterfuge · cunning · craftiness · dissembling · artifice · pretense · misrepresentation · scheming
Moving slowly, stealthily
- lurkingConcealed and watchful
- covertIntentionally concealed
- surreptitiousDone secretly, avoiding detection
- undetectableImpossible to notice
infiltration · clandestine · furtive · hidden · veiled · unseen · camouflaged · concealed
Breaking of trust
- backstabbingCovert betrayal of trust
- perfidyDeliberate breach of trust
- double-crossingBetraying someone's trust
- sabotageDeliberate disruption of operations
subversion · disloyalty · treason · conspiracy · seditious · undermining · collusion · turncoat
Gradually and subtly harmful
- malignantHarmfully invasive, often fatal
- corrosiveDestroys by chemical action
- toxicCapable of causing harm
- poisonousCapable of causing death
corrupting · destructive · damaging · ruinous · virulent · cancerous · erosive · degenerative
Proceeding by small additions
- imperceptibleCannot be sensed
- progressiveFavoring reform and innovation
- cumulativeIncreasing by successive additions
- escalatingIncreasing by degrees
mounting · creeping · unfolding · developing · worsening · advancing · snowballing · compounding
guile
Sly, strategic dishonesty
- duplicityDeliberate misleading behavior
- deceitDeliberate misleading of others
- manipulationUnderhanded control of others
trickery · subterfuge · cunning · craftiness · dissembling · artifice · pretense · misrepresentation · scheming · chicanery
creeping
Moving slowly, stealthily
- lurkingConcealed and watchful
- covertIntentionally concealed
- surreptitiousDone secretly, avoiding detection
undetectable · infiltration · clandestine · furtive · hidden · veiled · unseen · camouflaged · concealed · imperceptible
betrayal
Breaking of trust
- backstabbingCovert betrayal of trust
- perfidyDeliberate breach of trust
- double-crossingBetraying someone's trust
sabotage · subversion · disloyalty · treason · conspiracy · seditious · undermining · collusion · turncoat · duplicitous
pernicious
Gradually and subtly harmful
- malignantHarmfully invasive, often fatal
- corrosiveDestroys by chemical action
- toxicCapable of causing harm
poisonous · corrupting · destructive · damaging · ruinous · virulent · cancerous · erosive · degenerative · contaminating
incremental
Proceeding by small additions
- imperceptibleCannot be sensed
- progressiveFavoring reform and innovation
- cumulativeIncreasing by successive additions
escalating · mounting · creeping · unfolding · developing · worsening · advancing · snowballing · compounding · accruing
insidiousnesshonesty
Truthfulness, sincerity
forthrightness · candor · openness · truthfulness · straightforwardness
insidiousnessovertness
State of being unconcealed
obviousness · blatancy · conspicuousness · flagrancy · directness
insidiousnesstrustworthiness
Quality of being reliable
faithfulness · loyalty · constancy · reliability · fairness