furtively
Americanadverb
-
in a surreptitious, secret, or stealthy way.
For decades, people living under Soviet censorship listened furtively to the news from the free world beamed by Radio Free Europe or the Voice of America.
Moonshine is untaxed liquor, furtively produced by the light of the moon—or at least out of the immediate reach of law enforcement.
-
in a sly or shifty way.
In the next scene, he darts furtively into a pharmacy storeroom to steal poison.
Etymology
Origin of furtively
First recorded in 1490–1500; furtive ( def. ) + -ly ( def. )
Explanation
The adverb furtively is great for describing the movements or behavior of someone who's being sneaky or sly. Kids decorating their neighbor's trees with toilet paper on Halloween tend to sneak furtively around the yard. If you do something furtively, you don't want anyone to notice you; you're keeping a low profile. Usually, a person acting furtively feels guilty, or knows they're in danger of getting in trouble or being embarrassed. Furtively comes from the Latin word for "theft," fur. You can think of furtively as meaning "acting like a thief." Even though not everyone who behaves furtively is a thief, you might think they are, seeing them sneak away.
Vocabulary lists containing furtively
A Raisin in the Sun
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The Handmaid's Tale
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Born a Crime
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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.
Next to it, a small ghost peeps furtively through a window.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
No one who watched is likely to forget Rubio’s awkward stare as he furtively reached for a water bottle, cementing his reputation as the thirstiest man in the U.S.
From Salon ● Oct. 23, 2025
Some at the top of the Labour Party are beginning to think, if a little furtively, of the aftermath of 4 July, too.
From BBC ● Jun. 14, 2024
“Why, I ain’t never even been near a college!,” she says, after trying furtively to sneak away with her suitcase.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2023
He didn’t, but a few other men went in, some of them, I thought, looking furtively about as they entered.
From "Crispin: The Cross of Lead" by Avi
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.
