Meaning & use
furtive gesture
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountable
A quick, secret movement or signal, often showing that someone is trying to hide something.
Grammar: Countable: you can say 'a furtive gesture' or 'furtive gestures'.
Patterns
- make a furtive gesture
- a furtive gesture toward someone
- a furtive gesture of something
He made a furtive gesture to his friend to stop talking.
She gave a furtive gesture toward the door, hoping no one would notice.
The spy used a furtive gesture to pass the note.
Word forms
| plural | furtive gestures |
|---|
Common combinations
- make a furtive gesture
- He made a furtive gesture with his hand.
- a furtive glance
- She cast a furtive glance at the clock.
- a furtive movement
- The cat made a furtive movement toward the bird.
Synonyms and how they differ
- secret signal
- A secret signal is a broader term; a furtive gesture specifically suggests quickness and a desire not to be seen.
- sly gesture
- Sly gesture emphasizes cunning or deceit, while furtive gesture emphasizes secrecy and avoidance of notice.
Word family
- furtively adverb
- In a furtive manner; secretly and quickly.
- furtiveness noun
- The quality of being furtive.
Commonly confused: furtive gesture or fugitive?
furtive gesture vs fugitive
Fugitive means someone who is running away or hiding from the law; furtive means secretive or stealthy.
Practice
He made a ______ gesture to warn her not to say anything.
Choose one answer.
'Furtive' means secretive or stealthy, which fits a warning gesture. 'Fugitive' means running away, 'futile' means useless, and 'fertile' means able to produce crops or young — none fit the context.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “furtive gesture”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.