Hidden & Secret Vocabulary

not openly acknowledged or displayed; secret

“The covert operation was known only to a few.”

kept secret because illicit or improper

“They held clandestine meetings in the warehouse.”

kept secret, especially because improper

“He cast a surreptitious glance at his notes.”

attempting to avoid notice or attention

“Her furtive behavior aroused suspicion.”

behaving so as to avoid detection

“The stealthy cat crept toward its prey.”

having a meaning that is mysterious or obscure

“His cryptic message left everyone puzzled.”

difficult to interpret or understand; mysterious

“She gave an enigmatic smile and said nothing.”

impossible to understand or interpret

“His inscrutable expression revealed nothing.”

not transparent; hard to understand

“The company's finances remained opaque to outsiders.”

not discovered or known; uncertain

“The origins of the tradition remain obscure.”

existing but not yet developed or manifest

“She has latent talent that needs nurturing.”

temporarily inactive; in a state of rest

“The volcano had been dormant for centuries.”

partially concealed or disguised

“The veiled criticism was hard to miss.”

covered or enveloped so as to conceal

“The mountain was shrouded in mist.”

supernatural; beyond ordinary knowledge

“He studied occult practices from ancient texts.”

understood by few; mysterious

“The arcane rules confused newcomers.”

intended for or understood by a select few

“The esoteric philosophy attracted dedicated followers.”

little known; abstruse

“His recondite references puzzled most readers.”

covered or hidden

“The true purpose was cloaked in bureaucratic language.”

not revealed or made known publicly

“The buyer's identity remained undisclosed.”

existing beyond what is obvious or admitted; intentionally hidden

“He had ulterior motives for helping them.”

below the threshold of sensation or consciousness

“The ad used subliminal messaging to influence buyers.”