different between furtive vs underhanded

English

Etymology

Borrowed from French furtif (“stealthy”), from Latin f?rt?vus (“stolen”), from f?rtum (“theft”), from f?r (“thief”).

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /?f??t?v/
• (General Australian) IPA^(key): [?f????v]
• (US) IPA^(key): [?f?.??v]

Adjective

furtive (comparative more furtive, superlative most furtive)

1. Stealthy.
2. Exhibiting guilty or evasive secrecy.
   • 1949, George Orwell, Nineteen Eighty-Four, p31

     But that was merely a piece of furtive knowledge which he happened to possess because his memory was not satisfactorily under control.

Synonyms

• (stealthy): surreptitious
• See also Thesaurus:covert

Derived terms

• furtively
• furtiveness

Related terms

• ferret

Translations

French

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /fy?.tiv/

Adjective

furtive

1. feminine singular of furtif

Italian

Adjective

furtive

1. feminine plural of furtivo

Latin

Adjective

f?rt?ve

1. masculine vocative singular of f?rt?vus

References

• furtive in Charlton T. Lewis and Charles Short (1879) A Latin Dictionary, Oxford: Clarendon Press
• furtive in Charlton T. Lewis (1891) An Elementary Latin Dictionary, New York: Harper & Brothers
• furtive in Gaffiot, Félix (1934) Dictionnaire illustré Latin-Français, Hachette

English

Alternative forms

• under-handed

Etymology

under- +? handed

Adjective

underhanded (comparative more underhanded, superlative most underhanded)

1. Done by moving the hand (and arm) from below.
2. Sly, dishonest, corrupt, cheating.

   His underhanded trick backfired and he was disqualified.

3. Insincere; sarcastic.

   An underhanded compliment is actually criticism.

4. Secret; surreptitious.
5. Understaffed.

Synonyms

• (all, except "understaffed"): underhand
• (understaffed): shorthanded

Derived terms

• underhandedly
• underhandedness

Translations

Adverb

underhanded (comparative more underhanded, superlative most underhanded)

1. In an underhanded manner.

Synonyms

• (in an underhanded manner): underhandedly

Translations

Verb

underhanded

1. simple past tense and past participle of underhand

Noun

the underhanded pl (plural only)

1. Devious people, collectively.