furtive.

Attempting to escape attention, often because an action feels improper or dangerous.

Use it for

Words that belong together

• furtive glance
• furtive movement

On the page

A furtive glance passed between the servants.

He made a furtive movement toward the drawer.

Usage notes

Primary category: literary. Forms: Comparative more furtive; superlative most furtive where gradation is meaningful. Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings.