covert
gb/kˈoʊvɚt/ us/kˈoʊvɚt/
B2
English
~ 8300
titkos, fedett, rejtett, bozótos, fedőtoll
B2
1
Usage pattern:
a covert [activity / plan / operation / action]
The government denied having any role in the covert operation.
A kormány tagadta, hogy bármilyen szerepe lett volna a titkos műveletben.
They placed covert cameras in the hallway to catch the thief.
Rejtett kamerákat helyeztek el a folyosón, hogy elkapják a tolvajt.
The company faced criticism for its covert attempts to influence public opinion.
He preferred covert support rather than a public show of endorsement.
Researchers studied how covert aggression appears in close relationships.
Learner examples
The police used covert surveillance to watch the house.
A rendőrség titkos megfigyelést alkalmazott, hogy szemmel tartsa a házat.
They planned a covert mission to free the hostages.
Titkos küldetést terveztek a túszok kiszabadítására.
She sent him covert messages through a friend.
The country took covert action against its enemy.
There was a covert plan to remove the leader.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'covert' with 'overt'. Remember: 'covert' means hidden or secret, while 'overt' means open and easy to see. Also, 'covert' is almost always used before a noun (e.g., 'covert operation'), not alone as a subject complement (we say 'the operation was covert', but we do not usually say 'it was a covert').
Meaning
secret and not openly shown
Collocations
covert operation
|covert action
|covert surveillance
|covert support
|covert racism
|covert campaign
Synonyms
secret (Most general word; does not strongly suggest planning or strategy the way 'covert' often does.)
|
hidden (Focuses more on being out of sight; 'covert' often suggests being deliberately hidden, especially for political or military reasons.)
|
undercover (Commonly used about police or agents working in disguise; slightly more informal than 'covert'.)
Antonyms
overt (Specifically means open and clearly shown, especially about actions and behavior; often contrasted directly with 'covert'.)
|
open (Stresses being visible and not hidden from others, the opposite of being kept secret.)
Themes
politics
|crime
|psychology
|core_vocabulary
|communication
Definition
Done or kept in secret so that other people do not see or know about it.
Not openly acknowledged, displayed, or carried out; done or existing in secret or in a hidden way.
NOUN
C1
LITERARY
2
bozótos
B2
Usage pattern:
in a/the covert
The deer vanished into a nearby covert as soon as it sensed danger.
Amint megérezte a veszélyt, a szarvas eltűnt egy közeli bozótosban.
Beaters moved through the covert to drive the birds into the open.
A hajtók áthaladtak a bozótoson, hogy a madarakat a nyílt terepre hajtsák.
Foxes often make their dens in the thick covert along the edge of the field.
Learner examples
The rabbit ran into the covert to hide.
A nyúl beszaladt a bozótosba, hogy elbújjon.
Birds flew out of the covert when we walked past.
Madarak röppentek ki a bozótosból, amikor elsétáltunk mellette.
The hunter waited near the covert for the animals.
Many small animals live in the forest covert.
They found the lost dog sleeping in a covert.
Common mistake:
Learners may think this noun is simply the same as the adjective 'covert'. As a noun, it refers specifically to a place with thick plants where animals can hide, and it is relatively formal or literary. It is not used for human hiding places like closets or rooms.
Meaning
thick bushes giving shelter
Collocations
in the covert
|flush from the covert
|hide in the covert
|woodland covert
Synonyms
thicket (Very close in meaning; slightly more common in modern English and not tied to hunting.)
|
brush (Informal term, especially in American English, for areas of dense low vegetation.)
Antonyms
open ground (Describes an area without cover, where animals cannot easily hide.)
Themes
nature
|animals
Definition
An area of thick bushes or small trees where animals can hide or find shelter.
A thick area of bushes or low trees that provides shelter or a hiding place for animals, especially game.
NOUN
C2
TECHNICAL
3
fedőtoll
C2
Usage pattern:
the [wing / tail] coverts
The species can be identified by the bright blue patches on its wing coverts.
A fajt a szárnyfedő tollain lévő élénkkék foltokról lehet felismerni.
Damage to the greater coverts can seriously affect a bird's ability to fly.
A nagy szárnyfedő tollak sérülése súlyosan befolyásolhatja a madár repülőképességét.
The bird fluffed up its tail coverts during the courtship display.
Learner examples
The red color is only on the wing coverts.
A piros szín csak a szárnyfedő tollakon látható.
Scientists counted the coverts to tell how old the bird was.
A tudósok megszámolták a fedőtollakat, hogy megállapítsák a madár életkorát.
Some birds have white spots on their tail coverts.
She drew the wing coverts carefully in her notebook.
The coverts help to smooth the air over the wing.
Meaning
feather covering a bird's wing
Collocations
wing coverts
|tail coverts
|greater coverts
|lesser coverts
Synonyms
cover feather (A descriptive phrase sometimes used in explanations; less standard than the technical term 'covert'.)
Antonyms
flight feathers (The long, stiff feathers used for flying, which the coverts partly cover.)
Themes
science
|animals
|nature
Definition
A small feather on a bird that sits over the base of the big wing or tail feathers, like a cover.
Any of the small feathers that cover the base of the larger primary or secondary feathers on a bird's wing or tail.
Grammar
Dictionary form
covert
IPA
GB/kˈoʊvɚt/
US/kˈoʊvɚt/
Syllables & stress
cov - ert (2 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (cov)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: covert
Noun
- Base: covert
- Plural: coverts
Word family
Forms
coverts
noun
Core family
covertly
adverb
Negative and opposite forms
overt
adjective
overtly
adverb
Advanced or less common
covertness
noun
Expressions
covert action
1/kˈoʊvɚt ˈækʃən/
fixed phrase
formal
secret state-backed activity abroad
A secret activity by a government in another country, planned so that the government can deny that it did it.
Examples
- The committee was created to oversee all covert action conducted overseas.
- Critics argued that the covert action violated international law.
covert narcissist
1/kˈoʊvɚt nˈɑɹsɪsɪst/
fixed phrase
person showing hidden narcissism
A person who is very self-focused and needs admiration, but shows this in quiet, indirect, or self-pitying ways instead of loudly and openly.
Examples
- The podcast episode explains how to recognize a covert narcissist in a relationship.
- A covert narcissist may act shy or sensitive while still needing constant attention.
covert ops
1/kˈoʊvɚt ˈɑps/
fixed phrase
informal
informal term for secret operations
An informal way to say 'covert operations', meaning secret military or spy actions.
Examples
- He used to work in covert ops for the navy.
- The movie follows a team of covert ops behind enemy lines.
covert racism
1/kˈoʊvɚt ɹˈeɪsˌɪzəm/
fixed phrase
hidden or indirect racist behavior
Racism that is not open or direct, but is shown in hidden or subtle ways.
Examples
- The article explains how covert racism appears in hiring decisions.
- Many people say they oppose racism, but covert racism still affects daily life.
covert surveillance
1/kˈoʊvɚt sɚvˈeɪləns/
fixed phrase
secret watching or recording of people
Watching or recording people in secret, without them knowing, for the police, security, or other reasons.
Examples
- The police carried out covert surveillance of the suspects for several weeks.
- New laws limit the use of covert surveillance in public spaces.
covert operation
1/kˈoʊvɚt ˌɑpɚˈeɪʃən/
fixed phrase
secret planned military or spy action
A planned military, spy, or political action that is done in secret so that people do not know who is behind it.
Examples
- They carried out a covert operation to gather intelligence.
- They authorized a covert operation to gather intelligence inside the country.
- The covert operation was revealed by journalists.
- The book reveals several covert operations carried out during the war.
- Congress demanded to know who had approved the covert operation.