adjective
- Marked by quiet and caution and secrecy; taking pains to avoid being observed.
- usage: "a furtive manner"; "a sneak attack"; "stealthy footsteps"; "a surreptitious glance at his watch"
- Conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods.
- usage: "clandestine intelligence operations"; "cloak-and-dagger activities behind enemy lines"; "hole-and-corner intrigue"; "secret missions"; "a secret agent"; "secret sales of arms"; "surreptitious mobilization of troops"; "an undercover investigation"; "underground resistance"
- synonyms: clandestine, cloak-and-dagger, hole-and-corner, hugger-mugger, hush-hush, secret, undercover, underground
WordNet 3.0 © 2006 by Princeton University
| APA | WordNet. (2010). surreptitious. Retrieved September 20, 2026, from http://smartdefine.org/surreptitious/definitions/1184857 |
| Chicago | WordNet. 2010. "surreptitious" http://smartdefine.org/surreptitious/definitions/1184857 (accessed September 20, 2026). |
| Harvard | WordNet 2010, surreptitious, Smart Define, viewed 20 September, 2026, <http://smartdefine.org/surreptitious/definitions/1184857>. |
| MLA | WordNet. "surreptitious" 23 October 2010. Web. 20 September 2026. <http://smartdefine.org/surreptitious/definitions/1184857> |