hidden motives
Concealed true intentions
Hidden motives are the real reasons behind someone's actions that they deliberately conceal from others.
When someone has hidden motives, their stated purpose differs from what they actually hope to achieve.
The phrase implies calculation or deception: I suspected she had hidden motives for befriending my wealthy uncle.
A hidden motive may be selfish, malicious, or simply embarrassing to reveal.
The related term ulterior motives carries the same meaning.
- connivanceWillful blindness to wrongdoing
- subterfugeDeliberate deception to conceal
- double dealingSecretly acting against allies
- conspiracyClandestine coordinated scheming
- manipulationUnderhanded control of others
pulling strings · scheming · deception · smoke and mirrors · intrigue · unconscious bias · Machiavellian · moral ambiguity · secrecy · projection · unreliable narrator · ulterior motives · false pretenses · bad faith · ethical dilemmas · internal conflict · rationalization · power dynamics
- thriller elementstwists, suspense, tension, anticipation, cliffhanger
- Unconsciousid, ego, superego, repression, dreams
- Behind the Scenesbackstage, stunt double, body double, understudy, stand-in
- inner selfself, soul, psyche, inner being, true self
- undercurrentsundertow, riptide, subtext, tension, undertone
- secrecy in literaturemystery, secrets, spies, espionage, spy novels
hidden motivesgood intentions