From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishfurtivefur‧tive /ˈfɜːtɪv $ ˈfɜːr-/ adjective SECRETbehaving as if you want to keep something secret SYN secretive There was something furtive about his actions.furtive glances/looks Chris kept stealing furtive glances at me. —furtively adverb She opened the door and looked furtively down the hall. —furtiveness noun [uncountable]
Examples from the Corpus
furtive• Miss Baggely appeared unconfident, almost furtive.• She was having a furtive affair with a cameraman.• His movements were quick and furtive, and he spoke in a whisper.• It had been perfectly camouflaged, with its ears pulled back and its white flanks hidden by a furtive crouch.• The two girls exchanged furtive glances across the dinner table and tried hard not to giggle.• Going and having a few meals with him didn't seem evil or furtive in any way.• There was nothing furtive in his attitude and he would have been quite unashamed if anyone had caught him.• The people look furtive, like drug addicts, as they take them out in stacks of four or five.• At first she thought of wolves as she listened to the furtive movement in the woods to each side of the river.• Her face had become big and vacant, the eyes sluggishly furtive, the mouth vague.furtive glances/looks• I was playing with her as usual and casting furtive glances at her six heavy gold bangles.• They cast furtive glances at one another.• But it slowed her up considerably, and as time passed she found herself casting furtive glances over her shoulder.Origin furtive (1600-1700) French furtif, from Latin fur “thief” 