Synonyms of furtive

furtive

adjective

ˈfər-tiv 

1

as in shady

given to acting in secret and to concealing one's intentions

a furtive guy who always seems to be up to something, and usually that something is no-good

Synonyms & Similar Words

• shady
• sly
• stealthy
• sneaky
• shifty
• clandestine
• slippery
• dark
• sneaking
• secretive
• cheating
• cunning
• crooked
• deceptive
• treacherous
• slick
• covert
• close
• wily
• artful
• crafty
• devious
• dishonest
• foxy
• guileful
• lying
• reticent
• duplicitous
• deceitful
• underhanded
• deceiving
• insidious
• underhand
• tricky
• closemouthed
• perfidious
• mendacious
• untrustworthy
• knavish
• serpentine
• untruthful
• dissembling
• trickish
• two-faced
• double-dealing
• defrauding

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• forthright
• straightforward
• direct
• open
• frank
• candid
• plain
• aboveboard
• plainspoken
• honest
• truthful
• trustworthy
• foursquare

2

as in clandestine

undertaken or done so as to escape being observed or known by others

gave each other furtive glances as we watched our friend open the booby-trapped soda

Synonyms & Similar Words

• clandestine
• sneak
• covert
• undercover
• underground
• private
• sneaking
• surreptitious
• stealth
• stealthy
• sneaky
• secret
• underhanded
• behind-the-scenes
• hole-and-corner
• underhand
• privy
• backstairs
• hush-hush
• undisclosed
• hugger-mugger
• closed-door
• confidential
• off-the-record
• off-the-books
• hidden
• restricted
• secreted
• classified
• subterranean
• top secret
• back-channel
• concealed
• unexposed
• unadvertised

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• overt
• public
• open
• avowed
• straightforward
• acknowledged
• unrestricted
• undisguised
• obvious
• unclassified
• unconcealed
• evident
• clear
• plain
• manifest
• aboveboard
• patent

Synonym Chooser

How is the word furtive distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of furtive are clandestine, covert, secret, stealthy, surreptitious, and underhanded. While all these words mean "done without attracting observation," furtive implies a sly or cautious stealthiness.

lovers exchanging furtive glances

When would clandestine be a good substitute for furtive?

In some situations, the words clandestine and furtive are roughly equivalent. However, clandestine implies secrecy usually for an evil, illicit, or unauthorized purpose and often emphasizes the fear of being discovered.

a clandestine meeting of conspirators

When could covert be used to replace furtive?

The words covert and furtive can be used in similar contexts, but covert stresses the fact of not being open or declared.

covert intelligence operations

When is secret a more appropriate choice than furtive?

While in some cases nearly identical to furtive, secret implies concealment on any grounds for any motive.

met at a secret location

When can stealthy be used instead of furtive?

While the synonyms stealthy and furtive are close in meaning, stealthy suggests taking pains to avoid being seen or heard especially in some misdoing.

the stealthy step of a burglar

In what contexts can surreptitious take the place of furtive?

Although the words surreptitious and furtive have much in common, surreptitious applies to action or behavior done secretly often with skillful avoidance of detection and in violation of custom, law, or authority.

the surreptitious stockpiling of weapons

When might underhanded be a better fit than furtive?

The words underhanded and furtive are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, underhanded stresses fraud or deception.

an underhanded trick

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of furtive

At home, the atmosphere was decorous, curious, gentle; outside, the culture of the nineteen-fifties was tougher, valorizing war and papering over a darker, more furtive kind of violence. —Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 25 Jan. 2025

That weekend, at the grocery store, Eliza hovered near the cosmetics wall and, almost without looking, tossed in mascara, concealer, lip gloss, and sped to the checkout, feeling furtive. —Lauren Groff, The New Yorker, 8 Dec. 2024

There’s always been something eerie about Seefeel’s music, in which dub and ambient flit like furtive ghosts. —Pitchfork, 5 Dec. 2024

Songs of a Lost World, the band’s latest album, is a towering achievement, a perfect retrenchment in a year full of furtive attempts at similarly nostalgic measures, of artists rehashing past glories and hit songs liberally borrowing old licks. —Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 3 Dec. 2024