Insidious
Insidious adjective - Working or spreading in a hidden and usually injurious way.
Sinister and insidious are semantically related. In some cases you can use "Sinister" instead an adjective "Insidious".
Nearby Word: insidiously
Sinister
Sinister adjective - Being or showing a sign of evil or calamity to come.
Mutual synonyms
Related pairs
Both words in one sentence
- Universal Pictures' new deal with Blumhouse Productions led to a peculiar case of this for the latest installments in the Insidious and Sinister franchises.
Source: Channel Hop - This is especially puzzling since the former grossed over $100 million and Peli has gone on to produce a number of profitable horror films (such as the sequels to Paranormal Activity, Insidious and Sinister).
Source: The Shelf of Movie Languishment - Darths Vader, Sidious, Maul, Tyrannus, and Plagueis also have names that sound like sinister words, such as "invader," "insidious," "maul," "tyranny" and "plague." "Vader" is also Dutch for "father," though this is probably a coincidence.
Source: Meaningful Name / Film
Cite this Source
Sinister and Insidious. (2016). Retrieved 2026, July 29, from https://thesaurus.plus/related/insidious/sinister
Insidious & Sinister. N.p., 2016. Web. 29 Jul. 2026. <https://thesaurus.plus/related/insidious/sinister>.
Sinister or Insidious. 2016. Accessed July 29, 2026. https://thesaurus.plus/related/insidious/sinister.
Google Ngram Viewer shows how "insidious" and "sinister" have occurred on timeline