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.
Not exactly a secret, my complicated thoughts and feelings about my deeply personal connection to New York’s darkest day had always registered internally as something furtive.
From Salon • Sep. 11, 2024
His constant furtive glances keep us questioning who this lithe young lad really is, to others and especially to himself.
From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 2, 2024
“They’re recovering. They’re aggressive … they’re biting again,” he said, noting that’s a healthy sign for the usually furtive creatures.
From Seattle Times • May 21, 2024
The camera lingers on their enraptured visages, allowing their furtive looks to bloom under the neon glow of a clubbing black light or the soft touch of the sun as they lounge in a park.
From New York Times • Feb. 9, 2024
Writing is solitary, furtive, and I know all about those things.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
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.
