furtive
UK /ˈfɜːtɪv/ · US /ˈfɝtɪv/ adjective
- adjective Of a thing: done with evasive or guilty secrecy.
- adjective Of a thing: that has been acquired by theft; stolen; also (generally) taken stealthily.
- adjective Of a person or an animal: sly, stealthy.
- adjective Of a person, etc.: inclined to steal; pilfering, thieving.
Synonyms
clandestine surreptitious abstruse behind the scenes catlike backroom backstairs stealth cloak-and-dagger concealed confidential covert deep-laid dern disguised huggermugger hush-hush inconspicuous incognito low profile sneak sneaky stealthy backstair
Etymology
From Middle English *furtyve (implied in furtyvely (adverb)), from Middle French furtif, furtive (“furtive, stealthy”) (modern French furtif), from Latin fūrtīvus (“clandestine, furtive, secret; concealed, hidden; stolen”), from fūrtum (“theft; robbery”) (from fūr (“thief”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *bʰer- (“to bear, carry”)) + -īvus (suffix forming adjectives).
Webster’s 1913
- adjective Stolen; obtained or characterized by stealth; sly; secret; stealthy; as, a furtive look. Prior.
Etymology [L. furtivus, fr. furtum theft, fr. fur thief, akin to ferre to bear: cf. F. furtif. See Fertile.]
Sources: Wiktionary · WordNet 3.0 · Webster’s 1913 — from the Wiktionary entry “furtive”, CC BY-SA 4.0. Details