喜樂美語
  1. 1鬼鬼祟祟的、偷偷摸摸的

    Furtive describes the way someone looks or moves when they do not want to be noticed — as if they are hiding something. A furtive glance is a quick look you hope nobody saw. A furtive smile is a small, secret one. People also talk about furtive behaviour: slipping something into a bag, checking a phone under the table, leaving a room too quietly. The word is a little formal, but novels and newspapers use it a lot. It is not as heavy as “criminal”; a child can look furtive after taking an extra . Though actually, the feeling is always a bit guilty or secret. You would not call a calm, open person furtive. The older Latin behind it is a word for theft, which is why it still carries that “caught doing something” flavour.

組成From Latin fūrtīvus (secret, stolen), from fūrtum (theft), from fūr (thief), plus the adjective ending -īvus. It came through Middle French furtif into English.

同家族的字

原始詞典資料4 筆記錄

以下是外部詞典記錄的用法，摘錄並精簡格式，我們還沒有寫成教學內容。上面的說明才是我們自己寫的；有些用法可能上面已經講過了。

furtiveadj/ˈfɜːtɪv/

  • 1

    Of a thing: done with evasive or guilty secrecy.

    • […] The Defendant never vvas acknovvledged by the Sieur Harrouard’s Family, nor by that of his VVife. Thus, granting him to have been in Poſſeſſion of his Son’s Eſtate, it vvould only be a furtive and clandeſtine, not a public and avovved Poſſeſſion; and conſequently ſuch a Poſſeſſion as is incapable of founding a juſt and legal Title.
    • [T]ender cares and mild domestic Loves, / With furtive watch, pursue her [a swan] as she moves; […]
  • 2

    Of a thing: that has been acquired by theft; stolen; also (generally) taken stealthily.

    • Novv ſhine theſe Planets vvith ſubſtantial Rays? / Does innate Luſtre gild their meaſur'd Days? / Or do they (as your Schemes, I think, have ſhovvn) / Dart furtive Beams, and Glory not their ovvn, / All Servants to that Source of Light, the Sun?
  • 3

    Of a person or an animal: sly, stealthy.

    • All women have their foibles. Wise husbands must bear and forbear. Is that all? wherefore, then, is her aspect so furtive, wherefore on his a wild, vigilant sternness?
    • So, Riderhood looking after him as he went, and he with his furtive hand laid upon the dagger as he passed it, and his eyes upon the boat, were much upon a par.
  • 4

    Of a person, etc.: inclined to steal; pilfering, thieving.

摘錄自 英文維基詞典 English Wiktionary，已精簡格式；依 CC BY-SA 4.0 授權使用，改動後的內容同樣以此授權提供。