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surreptitious

ˌsɜːrəpˈtɪʃəsadjective

What does surreptitious mean?

Done secretly, so no one notices.

Surreptitious, six ways

PlainDone secretly, so no one notices.
ADHDSneaky. Quiet. Hoping no one sees.
Gen ZSneaking a snack in a meeting, or a glance at your phone.
MetaphorA hand in the cookie jar while the kitchen is empty.
FormalKept secret, especially because it would not be approved of.
Like I’m 5Doing something quietly and secretly so nobody notices. That’s surreptitious.

How to pronounce surreptitious

sur-up-TISH-us/ˌsɜːrəpˈtɪʃəs/

Surreptitious in a sentence

She took a surreptitious look at her watch.
A surreptitious glance at the phone under the table.
The data was gathered through surreptitious tracking.

Synonyms for surreptitious

furtiveSneaky and nervous.
stealthyQuiet and careful.
covertHidden, often official.

Clandestine vs surreptitious: Clandestine is secret by design. Surreptitious is sneaky in the moment. The difference, in plain English.

Where surreptitious comes from

Latin. Surripere, to snatch secretly, from sub, under, and rapere, to seize.

Good to know

Surreptitious suits a single sly act. For an organized secret, clandestine.

Surreptitious meaning, on a Gloss card: Done secretly, so no one notices.

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In: Words for ideas · SAT words · Latin and Greek roots