好词典

surreptitious

UK //ˌsʌr.əpˈtɪʃ.əs//US //ˌsɝː.əpˈtɪʃ.əs//

词源

源自拉丁语 'surrepticius'(意为'偷来的'),由 sub-(秘密地)和 rapere(夺取)组成,16世纪进入英语。

adjective

❶ 形容偷偷摸摸或秘密进行的行为,通常带有不想被人发现或未经允许的意味。

“He took a surreptitious glance at her phone when she wasn't looking.”

(趁她不注意时,他偷偷瞄了一眼她的手机。)

“The spy made a surreptitious entry into the building at midnight.”

(间谍在午夜时分偷偷潜入了那栋大楼。)

同义词:secret, stealthy, clandestine, covert, furtive

常见短语

surreptitious glance — 指快速且不被察觉地偷看,通常带有心虚或好奇的意味。

“She threw a surreptitious glance at the exam answers on his desk.”

(她偷偷瞥了一眼他桌上的考试答案。)

surreptitious recording — 未经允许的秘密录音或录像行为,可能涉及隐私问题。

“The journalist faced legal trouble for making surreptitious recordings.”

(这名记者因秘密录音而面临法律纠纷。)