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surreptitious

/ˌsʌɹɪpˈtɪʃəs/
Meanings
  • adjective

    Performed or carried out secretly, especially in a sneaky or underhanded way.

  • verb

    Making or performing an action secretly, especially one that is dishonest or suspicious.

Pronunciation
  1. /səˌɹɜpˈtɪʃəs/



    Source: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=90944073"
Rhymes
Words rhyming with surreptitious
repentious , deceptious , complacentious
Variants
List of all variants of surreptitious that leads to same result
surreptitious , surreptitiously
Forms
Different forms of the word (e.g., verb conjugations, plural forms, comparative/superlative forms for adjectives).

surreptitiously, surreptitiousness

Etymology
origin and the way in which meanings have changed throughout history.

From the Latin surreptitious, from surreptus, past participle of surripere, meaning 'to lift or take secretly'.

Trivia
Any details, considerations, events or pieces of information regarding the word

  1. The word 'surreptitious' is often used in legal contexts to describe actions that are taken secretly or without authorization.

  2. The longest word in the English language that can be spelled using only the letters in the word 'surreptitious' is 'stupor'.

Related Concepts
informations on related concepts or terms closely associated with the word. Discuss semantic fields or domains that the word belongs to

  1. covert: Related to secret or hidden activities. Covert actions are those that are intended to be concealed from public view or knowledge.

  2. sneaky: Related to secret or underhanded actions. A sneaky person is one who performs actions in a deceitful or secretive way.

Quotes
Quotes by authors and personalities

  1. The letter didn't offer up the jewels, only shadowy suggestions about their disappearance, claiming that [heiress, Carolyn] Skelly, in a "surreptitious" trading of parcels with "a man in an ankle-length tweed overcoat," had left a bag full of jewelry on the floor at J.F.K.

    - Mark Seal,{it}Vanity Fair{/it},December 2001

  2. In the early evening as we gathered in the lobby beneath mounted elk heads and bear skins, the lights of the chandelier flickered mysteriously. But the teacher and I both spied the "surreptitious" action of the desk clerk, whose sheepish smile acknowledged that one brief hotel mystery had been solved. Other signs of pranking there included a "ghost" photo (displayed in a lobby album) that the clerk confided to me was staged, and some pennies, placed on the back of a men's room toilet, that from time to time would secretly become rearranged to form messages—like the word "why?" that I encountered.

    - Joe Nickell,{it}Skeptical Inquirer{/it},September/October 2000

  3. The next week offered [FBI agent] Wiser the opportunity he had been waiting for. Ames was leaving the country, going to Ankara for a weeklong international conference on drugs. Wiser went to Bryant for permission to run a … "surreptitious" search of Ames' garbage. But the chief was dead set against it.

    - Tim Weiner et al.,{it}Rolling Stone{/it},29 June 1995
Culture
Any cultural, historical, or symbolic significance of the word. Explore how the word has been used in literature, art, music, or other forms of expression.

In literature, 'surreptitious' has been used to describe secret or sneaky actions, often with a negative connotation. For example, in Fyodor Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment, the protagonist Raskolnikov commits a surreptitious murder, which ultimately leads to his downfall.

How to Memorize "surreptitious"

  1. visualize

    - Visualize a person performing an action secretly, such as hiding something in their hand or sneaking around in the dark.

  2. associate

    - Associate the word 'surreptitious' with the concept of secrecy or stealth.

  3. mnemonics

    - Create a mnemonic using the first letter of each word in 'Slyly UnderRating People's Expectations Is Surreptitious' to remember the meaning of the word.

🧠 Bonus Tips

To help you remember the word 'surreptitious', follow these practical tricks with steps:

1. Rhyme it: To remember 'surreptitious', create a rhyme using the word 'discreetious' which sounds similar and means done in a stealthy or secretive way. For example, 'If you want to be discreetious, act in a surreptitious way.'

2. Break it down: Break down the word into smaller parts and try to remember each part. For example, 'sur' means above, 'rep' means to take back, and 'tious' means tending to. So, surreptious means tending to take something back in a secretive way from above.

3. Visualize it: Create a mental image of someone acting in a surreptitious way. For example, imagine a spy stealing secret documents from a high-security building without being noticed.

4. Use it in a sentence: Try using the word 'surreptitious' in a sentence. For example, 'He made a surreptitious entry into the room to avoid being seen.' This will help you remember the word in context.

5. Associate it: Associate the word 'surreptitious' with something you already know. For example, think of the word 'surprise' and add 'tious' to it. This will help you remember the spelling and meaning of the word.

Memorize "surreptitious" using Dictozo

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