furtive
Americanadjective
-
taken, done, used, etc., surreptitiously or by stealth; secret.
a furtive glance.
- Synonyms:
- covert, clandestine
-
a furtive manner.
- Synonyms:
- cunning, crafty, underhanded
adjective
Other Word Forms
- furtively adverb
- furtiveness noun
Etymology
Origin of furtive
First recorded in 1480–90; from Latin furtīvus, equivalent to furt(um) “theft” (compare fūr “thief”) + -īvus -ive
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
While audiences are focused on one area of the stage, something furtive is happening on another.
From Los Angeles Times
“Are you panic-stricken? Are your eyes wide? Do you look furtive?” he said.
He admitted giving a county official dozens of cash payoffs during furtive meetings in cars, restaurants and men’s rooms while reaping lucrative real-estate leases in return.
From Los Angeles Times
In between darting to furtive meetings about the fledgling movement, King managed to win the women's doubles at Queen's that week.
From BBC
Only the occasional woman or old man appears on the streets, making furtive bread runs before quickly heading home; young men are nowhere to be found.
From Los Angeles Times
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
