| Main Entry: | |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | secret, sly |
| Synonyms: | artful, cloak-and-dagger, closet, concealed, covert, foxy, fraudulent, furtive, hidden, hush-hush, illegitimate, illicit, in holes and corners, on the Q. T., on the quiet, private, sneaky, stealthy, surreptitious, under wraps, under-the-counter, undercover, underground, underhand |
| Antonyms: | aboveboard, forthright, open, truthful |
| Main Entry: | furtive |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | sneaky, secretive |
| Synonyms: | artful, calculating, cautious, circumspect, clandestine, cloaked, conspiratorial, covert, crafty*, creepy*, cunning, disguised, elusive, evasive, foxy, guileful, hidden, hush-hush, insidious, masked, scheming, shifty, skulking, slinking, sly, stealthy, sub-rosa, surreptitious, tricky*, under wraps, under-the-table, undercover, underhand, underhanded, wily |
| Antonyms: | aboveboard, forthright, honest, open, truthful |
| Main Entry: | hidden |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | unseen, secret |
| Synonyms: | QT, abstruse, buried, clandestine, cloaked, close, clouded, concealed, covered, covert, cryptic, dark, disguised, eclipsed, esoteric, hermetic, hermetical, imperceivable, in the dark, indiscernible, invisible, latent, masked, mysterious, mystic, mystical, obscure, occult, out of view, private, recondite, screened, secluded, sequestered, shadowy, shrouded, surreptitious, ulterior, undercover, underground, undetected, undisclosed, unexposed, unknown, unrevealed, veiled, withheld |
| Antonyms: | bare, exhibited, exposed, open, out, seen, showing, uncovered |
| Main Entry: | hush-hush |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | secret |
| Synonyms: | clandestine, classified, closet, confidential, covert, dark, private, restricted, sub-rosa, surreptitious, under-the-table, undercover |
| Antonyms: | known, public, revealed, told |
| Main Entry: | illicit |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | not legal; forbidden |
| Synonyms: | adulterous, black-market, bootleg, clandestine, contraband, contrary to law, criminal, crooked, dirty*, felonious, furtive, guilty, heavy*, illegal, illegitimate, immoral, improper, in violation of law, lawless, out of line, prohibited, racket, unauthorized, unlawful, unlicensed, wrong, wrongful |
| Notes: | elicit means to call forth emotions, feelings, and responses or to bring out or draw out, while illicit means contrary to or forbidden by law - unlawful literally, illegitimate is 'not lawful' and illicit is 'not allowed' a form of conduct will be illicit and a type of practice will be illegal |
| Antonyms: | blessed, good, legal, legitimate, licit, moral, noble, proper, right |
| Main Entry: | private |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | personal, intimate |
| Synonyms: | behind the scenes, clandestine, close to one's chest, closet, confidential, discreet, exclusive, hush-hush, hushed, independent, individual, inside, nonpublic, not open, off the record, own, particular, privy*, reserved, secret, separate, special, under one's hat, unofficial |
| Antonyms: | open, public, sociable |
| Main Entry: | stealthy |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | quiet and secretive |
| Synonyms: | catlike, catty, clandestine, covert, crafty, cunning, enigmatic, feline, furtive, hush-hush, noiseless, private, secret, shifty, silent, skulking, slinking, sly, sneak, sneaking, sneaky, sub-rosa, surreptitious, under wraps, undercover, underhand, wily |
| Antonyms: | open, public |
| Main Entry: | surreptitious |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | sneaky, secret |
| Synonyms: | clandestine, covert, fraudulent, furtive, hidden, hole-and-corner, hush-hush, on the QT, on the sly, private, skulking, slinking, sly, sneaking, stealthy, sub-rosa, unauthorized, under wraps, under-the-table, undercover, underhand, veiled |
| Antonyms: | aboveboard, authorized, honest, open |
| Main Entry: | undercover |
| Part of Speech: | adjective |
| Definition: | secret, spy |
| Synonyms: | clandestine, concealed, confidential, covert, creep, furtive, hidden, hole-and-corner, hush-hush, incognito*, intelligence, on the QT, private, stealth, stealthy, sub-rosa, surreptitious, under wraps, underground, underhand, underneath |
| Antonyms: | known, open, public |