Meaning & use
furtively
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Meaning
adverbcomparable
In a sneaky, careful way, trying not to be noticed because one is doing something secret or wrong.
Grammar: Describes how an action is done: she glanced furtively around.
Patterns
- look furtively at something
- move furtively
He glanced furtively at his neighbor's test paper.
She slipped furtively out of the back door.
The boy furtively slid the last cookie into his pocket.
Common combinations
- glance furtively
- He glanced furtively over his shoulder before opening the drawer.
- look furtively
- She looked furtively around the room to see if anyone was watching.
- move furtively
- The cat moved furtively toward the fish bowl.
- whisper furtively
- They whispered furtively in the corridor.
- furtively slip
- He furtively slipped a note into her bag.
Synonyms and how they differ
- secretly
- Secretly just means without others knowing, while furtively adds nervous, guilty-looking movement.
- stealthily
- Stealthily stresses quiet, careful movement, often skillful, whereas furtively suggests guilt or shiftiness.
- surreptitiously
- Surreptitiously is more formal and focuses on avoiding notice, while furtively often shows in nervous glances.
- slyly
- Slyly suggests cunning or a knowing look, while furtively suggests fear of being caught.
Opposites
Word family
- furtive adjective
- done quietly and secretly to avoid being noticed
- furtiveness noun
- the quality of acting in a sneaky way
Commonly confused: furtively or fortuitously?
furtively vs fortuitously
Fortuitously means by happy chance and sounds a little similar. Furtively means secretly, in a guilty way.
Practice
The student furtively checked his phone during the exam. How did he check it?
Choose one answer.
Furtively means in a secret, sneaky way to avoid being noticed. Doing something openly is the opposite.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “furtively”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.