furtive

Word family

fur·tive /ˈfɜːtɪv $ ˈfɜːr-/ adjectiveadj

SECRETbehaving as if you want to keep something secret 偷偷摸摸的，鬼鬼祟祟的 SYN secretive

There was something furtive about his actions.

他的行为有点鬼鬼祟祟。

furtive glances/looks

Chris kept stealing furtive glances at me.

克里斯一直在偷偷摸摸朝我看。

—furtively adverbadv

She opened the door and looked furtively down the hall.

她开了门，鬼头鬼脑地朝走廊里张望。

—furtiveness noun [uncountableU]

Examples from the Corpus

furtive• Miss Baggely appeared unconfident, almost furtive.• She was having a furtive affair with a cameraman.• His movements were quick and furtive, and he spoke in a whisper.• It had been perfectly camouflaged, with its ears pulled back and its white flanks hidden by a furtive crouch.• The two girls exchanged furtive glances across the dinner table and tried hard not to giggle.• Going and having a few meals with him didn't seem evil or furtive in any way.• There was nothing furtive in his attitude and he would have been quite unashamed if anyone had caught him.• The people look furtive, like drug addicts, as they take them out in stacks of four or five.• At first she thought of wolves as she listened to the furtive movement in the woods to each side of the river.• Her face had become big and vacant, the eyes sluggishly furtive, the mouth vague.

furtive glances/looks• I was playing with her as usual and casting furtive glances at her six heavy gold bangles.• They cast furtive glances at one another.• But it slowed her up considerably, and as time passed she found herself casting furtive glances over her shoulder.

Origin furtive

(1600-1700) French furtif, from Latin fur “thief”

fur·tive adjectiveadj

Chinese

Syllable

Corpus