furtive

AI In plain words

Writing a short explanation…

Written by a house AI from the entry below, in your language. The entry itself is the source.

furtive

/ˈfɜːtɪv/ UK
/ˈfɝtɪv/ US
[-ɾɪv] US
[ˈfɜːɾɪv] Australia

Rhymes with -ɜːtɪv

Where it comes from

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).

adjective more furtive · most furtive

Of a thing: done with evasive or guilty secrecy. […] The Defendant never vvas acknovvledged by the Sieur Harrouard’s Family, nor by that of his VVife. Thus, granting him to have been in Poſſeſſion of his Son’s Eſtate, it vvould only be a furtive and clandeſtine, not a public and avovved Poſſeſſion; and conſequently ſuch a Poſſeſſion as is incapabl
Similar: clandestine, surreptitious, abstruse, behind the scenes, catlike, backroom, backstairs, stealth, cloak-and-dagger, concealed, confidential, covert
Of a thing: that has been acquired by theft; stolen; also (generally) taken stealthily. Novv ſhine theſe Planets vvith ſubſtantial Rays? / Does innate Luſtre gild their meaſur'd Days? / Or do they (as your Schemes, I think, have ſhovvn) / Dart furtive Beams, and Glory not their ovvn, / All Servants to that Source of Light, the Sun?
Of a person or an animal: sly, stealthy. All women have their foibles. Wise husbands must bear and forbear. Is that all? wherefore, then, is her aspect so furtive, wherefore on his a wild, vigilant sternness?
Similar: thieflike, thievish
Of a person, etc.: inclined to steal; pilfering, thieving.
Similar: thievish

Translations

Every language

adj of a thing: exhibiting guilty or evasive secrecy

Português	furtivo
Deutsch	verstohlen
Ελληνικά	φευγαλέος fevgaléos

adj of a person or animal: sly, stealthy

Español	furtivo, sigiloso
中文	鬼鬼祟祟 guǐguǐsuìsuì
Português	furtivo
Français	furtif, subreptice
Deutsch	geheim, heimlich, Tarn-
Italiano	furtivo
Ελληνικά	κρυφός kryfós, λαθραίος lathraíos
Русский	скры́тный skrýtnyj
العربية	مَاكِر mākir, مُسْتَرَق mustaraq, مُخْتَلَس muḵtalas, مَخْفِيّ maḵfiyy

Talk about this word

Cite this

MLA

"furtive." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/furtive. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

furtive. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/furtive

Chicago

"furtive." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/furtive.

BibTeX

@misc{furtive_2026,
  title = {furtive},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/furtive},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}