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Furtive   /fˈərtɪv/   Listen
Furtive

adjective
1.
Marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed.  Synonyms: sneak, sneaky, stealthy, surreptitious.  "A sneak attack" , "Stealthy footsteps" , "A surreptitious glance at his watch"
2.
Secret and sly or sordid.  Synonyms: backstair, backstairs.  "His low backstairs cunning" , "Backstairs intimacies" , "Furtive behavior"



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"Furtive" Quotes from Famous Books



... lack of references or even of experience that conspired against her every effort at employment. It was the lack of luster to the eye, an absolutely new tendency to tiptoe, a furtive lookout over her shoulder, a halting tongue, that, upon the slightest questioning, would stutter for words. Where there were application-blanks to be filled in she would pore inkily over them and, after a while, slyly crunch hers up in her hand and steal out. She was still pinkly and prettily ...
— Humoresque - A Laugh On Life With A Tear Behind It • Fannie Hurst

... to think. It was past eleven. The housekeeper had gone to spend the night with an ailing sister, and a furtive glance at Brother Burge's small shifty eyes and fat unwholesome face was sufficient to deter him from leaving him alone with his property, while he went to ask the police to give an eye to his house for the night. Besides, it was more than probable ...
— Captains All and Others • W.W. Jacobs

... conversing in an animated whisper with a companion, a fellow-officer; they were talking about what it is far better not to—women. Our friend clearly did not wish to be overheard; for he cast ever and anon a furtive glance at his fair vis-a-vis and lowered his voice. She seemed completely absorbed in her book, and that reassured him. At last the two soldiers came down to a whisper (the truth must be told); the ...
— Stories by English Authors: England • Various

... of it reduced—the top-sail yards down on the caps, the top-sails clewed up, the sheets hauled in, the main and fore peaks lowered, and the flying-jib down. While thus engaged the dawn advanced, and I cast an occasional furtive glance ahead in the midst of my labour. But now that things were prepared for the worst, I ran forward again and looked anxiously over the bow. I now heard the roar of the waves distinctly, and as a single ray of the rising sun ...
— The Coral Island - A Tale Of The Pacific Ocean • R. M. Ballantyne

... effected rapid improvement in some points in the past few years. Just so soon as the community conscience is aroused to the point of a general condemnation of industrial robbery, it will cease to flaunt itself so boldly, and lurk only underground with the other furtive sins. ...
— Problems of Conduct • Durant Drake


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