covertly
part of speech
adverb (covertly)
meaning for a pupil
1) In a secret or hidden way, so that others do not notice. tree →
2) (formal) Not openly shown or admitted: «covertly unhappy». tree →
sense in the lessons
Used in spy stories, mysteries and news about secret agents or police; in classroom stories, a child might covertly pass a note. It tells the reader that something is done secretly. Opposite: «openly», «overtly».
examples
- She covertly passed a note to her friend under the desk. tree →
- The detective covertly watched the house. tree →
- Spies covertly gathered information. tree →
- Tim covertly slipped the sprouts to the dog. tree →
- The cameras covertly filmed the badgers at night. tree →
- He covertly checked his phone during the film. tree →
- The rabbit covertly nibbled the lettuce while the farmer slept. tree →
note
Adverb from «covert» (secret, hidden). Pronounced KUV-ert-lee or KOH-vert-lee. Opposite: «overtly». Do not confuse with «covet» (to want something that belongs to someone else).
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «covertly» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.