What does furtively mean?
'Furtively' describes acting in a secretive, stealthy manner designed to avoid being noticed. The adverb attaches itself most naturally to small, telling actions: glancing furtively at a phone, whispering furtively in a corridor, moving furtively through a doorway. Its connotation is almost always negative, hinting at guilt, anxiety, or dishonesty — a person behaving furtively is presumed to have something to hide, even if they are merely shy or cautious. The word derives from the Latin 'furtivus', meaning stolen or hidden, a root it shares with the related adjective 'furtive'. Writers reach for it precisely because it conveys atmosphere economically: a single furtive glance can suggest an entire hidden agenda. In everyday speech it appears less often than its cousins 'secretly' or 'quietly', which makes it a distinctive choice whenever a scene calls for suspicion, tension, or the sense that someone is up to no good.
adverbIn a secret, stealthy, or sly manner, typically to avoid being noticed; done quietly and with an air of concealment.
- Done in a quiet, secretive way intended to escape notice, often suggesting guilt or nervousness (e.g. a furtive glance).
"She glanced furtively at her phone under the table during the meeting."
"He slid the envelope across the desk and pocketed it furtively."
"The children exchanged furtive glances before admitting who had broken the vase."
The Latin word behind 'furtively' is the same one that gave us 'thief' — so when you act furtively, you're speaking the language of sneaky thieves from two thousand years ago.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of furtively
Furtively comes from the adjective 'furtive', which entered English in the seventeenth century from the Latin 'furtivus', meaning 'stolen' or 'hidden', itself derived from 'fur', the Latin word for thief. The original sense tied closely to theft and plunder — furtive things were literally stolen things — before softening into a broader meaning of secrecy and evasion. The same Latin root connects the word family to notions of thievery and concealment in Romance languages.
Related word forms
How furtively is actually used
Carries a strongly negative connotation of guilt, evasion, or shame — behavior described as furtive usually implies something worth hiding. Common in literary and journalistic writing rather than casual conversation.
Easily confused with furtively
'Covertly' emphasizes deliberate concealment of an action or plan, while 'furtively' adds a sense of nervous, evasive haste — behaving as if afraid of being caught.