secret

Study(27)

/ˈsiː.kɹɪt/

noun 5adj 4verb 2

Collocations

(adj.)

VERBS

be | remain, stay | keep sth

ADV

highly, top, very

The government kept the new defense project highly secret for several years.

absolutely, entirely | more or less

formerly, hitherto, previously

The government finally released documents that were formerly secret to the public.

PREP

from

He didn't want to hide his new job secret from his parents any longer.

(noun.) sth that must not be known by others

ADJ

big, great | little

closely guarded, well-kept

My grandmother's recipe for chocolate cake was a closely guarded secret that she never shared with anyone.

hidden, inner, innermost, intimate

She finally shared her hidden secrets with her best friend after years of keeping quiet.

open

Everyone in the office knew about the manager's plan, though it remained an open secret until the announcement.

dark, guilty, shameful, terrible | commercial, family, military, official, state, trade

VERB + SECRET

have

guard, keep

My best friend has guarded my deepest secret for over ten years.

betray, divulge, let sb in on/into, reveal, tell sb

My best friend finally revealed her secret that she was moving to another country.

find out, uncover

SECRET + VERB

be/get out

If my surprise party plans get out before Friday, the whole thing will be ruined.

PREP

in ~

They decided to have their wedding ceremony in secret because they wanted privacy from the media.

~ about

The family kept a dark secret about what happened to their old house.

~ from

She kept nothing secret from her best friend throughout their entire friendship.

PHRASES

make no secret of the fact that, make a secret of sth

She made no secret of the fact that she wanted to leave her job.

(noun.) only/best way of doing/achieving sth

VERB + SECRET

reveal, tell sb

PREP

~ behind

The old detective finally discovered the secret behind the mysterious disappearance.

~ of

She finally discovered the secret of making perfect chocolate chip cookies.

PHRASES

the secret of (sb's) success

Definitions

noun

A piece of knowledge that is hidden and intended to be kept hidden.

"Can you keep a secret?" "Yes." "So can I."

To tell our own secrets is generally folly, but that folly is without guilt; to communicate those with which we are intrusted is always treachery

The key or principle by which something is made clear; the knack.

The secret to a long-lasting marriage is compromise.

Something not understood or known.

Thou knewſt by name, and all th' ethereal powers, / All ſecrets of the deep, all Natures works,

Private seclusion.

The work was done in secret, so that nobody could object.

The genital organs.

verb

To make or keep secret.

… she would unfold the silk, press it with a smooth wooden block that she'd heated in the oven, and then once more secret it away.

1986, InfoWorld, InfoWorld Media Group, Inc. Diskless workstations … make it difficult for individuals to copy information … onto a diskette and secret it away.

To hide secretly.

adj

Being or kept hidden.

We went down a secret passage.

The ſecret things belong unto the Lord our God; but thoſe things which are reuealed belong unto us, and to our children for euer, that wee may doe all the words of this Law.

Withdrawn from general intercourse or notice; in retirement or secrecy; secluded.

Sing Heav'nly Muſe, that on the secret top / Of Oreb, or of Sinai, didſt inſpire / That Shepherd, who firſt taught the choſen Seed, / In the Beginning how the Heav'ns and Earth / Roſe out of Chaos: [...]

secret in her sapphire cell

Faithful to a secret; not inclined to divulge or betray confidence; secretive, separate, apart.

What neede we any ſpurre, but our owne cauſe / To pricke vs to redreſſe? What other Bond / Than ſecret Romans, that haue ſpoke the Word, / And will not palter?

Separate; distinct.

They suppose two other divine hypostases superior thereunto, which were perfectly secret from matter.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

noun — something that baffles understanding and cannot be explained

noun — information known only to a special group

arcanum

adjective — not openly made known

unavowed

adjective — having an import not apparent to the senses nor obvious to t

adjective — not expressed

private

adjective — conducted with or marked by hidden aims or methods

adjective — (of information) given in confidence or in secret

confidential

adjective — hidden from general view or use

privy
secluded

adjective — designed to elude detection

hidden

Antonyms

Idioms & Phrases

best-kept secret

Something interesting or important but not well-known.

Forget the Great Wall - Beijing's best-kept secret is its crazy taxi drivers.

worst-kept secret

A situation where little or no attempt has been made to keep a matter secret.

Late last year, the first test train ran on the line - a Class 165 diesel multiple unit provided by Chiltern Railways. It provided yet another clear indication to what seems to be

Example Bank

"Can you keep a secret?" "Yes." "So can I."

Wiktionary

To tell our own secrets is generally folly, but that folly is without guilt; to communicate those with which we are intrusted is always treachery

Wiktionary

Well, mistress, I am sorry this is a matter I cannot aid you in—it goes against my conscience, and it is an affair above my condition, and beyond my management;—but I will keep your secret.

Wiktionary

… she would unfold the silk, press it with a smooth wooden block that she'd heated in the oven, and then once more secret it away.

Wiktionary

1986, InfoWorld, InfoWorld Media Group, Inc. Diskless workstations … make it difficult for individuals to copy information … onto a diskette and secret it away.

Wiktionary

To prevent the elixir from reaching mankind and thereby upsetting the balance of the universe, two gods secret it away.

Wiktionary

Usage Notes

i Register

In some senses, secret is marked as archaic, obsolete, rare. Watch for register when choosing this word.

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