furtive
- Done in a stealthy, secretive way to avoid being noticed, suggesting guilt or dishonest intent.
In a sentence
- He cast a furtive glance at his phone under the table during the meeting.
- The spy's furtive movements through the crowded market did not go unnoticed by the surveillance team.
Usage note. Commonly collocates with 'glance', 'look', and 'movement'; the word implies not just secrecy but a guilty or anxious quality to the behavior.
Where it comes from
English furtive · entered English early 17th c.
From Latin 'furtivus' (stolen, secret, stealthy), derived from 'furtum' (theft) and ultimately from 'fur' (thief). It entered English in the early 17th century, likely via French 'furtif'.