Unit 83

insidious / invidious

insidious adj. 阴险的，暗中为害的 (causing harm in a way that is gradual or not easily noticed) /ɪnˈsɪdɪəs/

• Hemlock is an insidious poison that paralyzes slowly, moving up from the toes until it finally reaches the heart.

invidious adj. 令人反感的 (unpleasant and likely to cause bad feelings in other people) /ɪnˈvɪdɪəs/

• Charles had the invidious habit of giving backhanded compliments, leaving his companions wondering whether they had been praised or insulted.

incisive / decisive / invasive / divisive / derisive

incisive adj. 一针见血的，深刻尖锐的 (impressively direct and decisive) /ɪnˈsʌɪsɪv/

• Following the 2017 G7 summit, German Chancellor Angela Merkel made incisive comments urging European self-reliance.

decisive adj. 果决的，坚定的 (resolute or determined) /dɪˈsʌɪsɪv/

• Jared's decisive dieting habits helped him to shed more than 35 pounds.

invasive adj. 扩散性的 (tending to spread) /ɪnˈveɪsɪv/

• Iguanas are an invasive species which have ousted smaller, native lizards from their indigenous environments.

adj. 侵略性的 (relating to, or characterized by military aggression)

• In 2014 the Russian army took an invasive step toward regaining control of Ukraine and ultimately annexed Crimea.

divisive adj. 引起争议的，引起分裂的 (causing a lot of disagreement between people so they separate into different groups) /dɪˈvʌɪsɪv/

• Immigration is a divisive subject in the United States, with as many people in favor of opening borders as there are those in favor of closing them.

derisive adj. 嘲笑的 (expressing or causing derision) /dɪˈrʌɪsɪv/

• Jael's derisive comments, poking fun at her classmate's idiosyncrasies, made her unpopular.