furtive

UK: /ˈfɜː^rtɪv/ US: /ˈfɝtɪv/ ,(fûr′tiv)

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

fur•tive /ˈfɜrtɪv/   adj. 

1. taken, done, used, etc., secretly or without others noticing;
   stealthy;
   secret:
   a furtive glance.
2. sly;
   shifty:
   a furtive manner.

fur•tive•ly, adv. 
fur•tive•ness, n. [uncountable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

fur•tive  (fûr′tiv), adj. 

1. taken, done, used, etc., surreptitiously or by stealth;
   secret:
   a furtive glance.
2. sly;
   shifty:
   a furtive manner.

• Latin furtīvus, equivalent. to furt(um) theft (compare fūr thief ) + -īvus -ive
• 1480–90

fur′tive•ly, adv. 
fur′tive•ness, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. clandestine, covert.
• 2. underhand, cunning.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

furtive / ˈfɜːtɪv/ adjective

1. characterized by stealth; sly and secretive

Etymology: 15th Century: from Latin furtīvus stolen, clandestine, from furtum a theft, from fūr a thief; related to Greek phōr thief

ˈfurtively adverb

ˈfurtiveness noun