The Only Use of
insidious
in
The Scarlet Letter
- Could they be other than the insidious whispers of the bad angel, who would fain have persuaded the struggling woman, as yet only half his victim, that the outward guise of purity was but a lie, and that, if truth were everywhere to be shown, a scarlet letter would blaze forth on many a bosom besides Hester Prynne's?†
Chpt 5
Definition:
-
(insidious) not appearing dangerous, but actually very harmful over time
or:
treacherous (dangerous due to trickery or from hidden or unpredictable risks)