stealthier; stealthiest
1
: slow, deliberate, and secret in action or character
2
a
: intended to escape observation : furtive
b
: designed to produce a very weak radar return
a stealthy airplane
stealthily adverb
stealthiness noun
Choose the Right Synonym for stealthy

secret, covert, stealthy, furtive, clandestine, surreptitious, underhanded mean done without attracting observation.

secret implies concealment on any grounds for any motive.

met at a secret location

covert stresses the fact of not being open or declared.

covert intelligence operations

stealthy suggests taking pains to avoid being seen or heard especially in some misdoing.

the stealthy step of a burglar

furtive implies a sly or cautious stealthiness.

lovers exchanging furtive glances

clandestine implies secrecy usually for an evil, illicit, or unauthorized purpose and often emphasizes the fear of being discovered.

a clandestine meeting of conspirators

surreptitious applies to action or behavior done secretly often with skillful avoidance of detection and in violation of custom, law, or authority.

the surreptitious stockpiling of weapons

underhanded stresses fraud or deception.

an underhanded trick

Examples of stealthy in a Sentence

the stealthy movements of the crocodile cats are among the stealthiest of stalkers
Recent Examples on the Web Turns out, the Oppenheimer star, who is famously press shy, treats the event like any other awards ceremony—with a tasteful (and super stealthy) eye towards tailoring, which is always meant to seamlessly blend in, not stand out. Christian Allaire, Vogue, 11 Mar. 2024 The other color, Pale Blue Metallic, is far more subtle as the name implies, and would be a better choice for those who’d like to be a little more stealthy in their Taycan. Tim Stevens, Robb Report, 11 Mar. 2024 While Carewe’s renown extended well past his actual career, his baby brother Wallace was stealthy as a tortoise. Erik Himmelsbach-Weinstein, Los Angeles Times, 7 Mar. 2024 Stanley released two Easter Quencher Tumblers that sold out fast, even with the company's attempt to make the drop as stealthy as possible at 12 p.m. ET on Tuesday. Emilee Coblentz, USA TODAY, 7 Mar. 2024 With its sleek silhouette and stealthy attitude (there’s not a logo in sight!), Styles’s bag is very much a unisex design. Christian Allaire, Vogue, 22 Feb. 2024 Stalking Ability Tigers are sleek, stealthy, and come with their own camouflage. Matthew Every, Field & Stream, 21 Feb. 2024 After years of stealthy, steady growth, heat pumps are now outselling gas furnaces in the United States, whereas EVs accounted for just 8 percent of all US new vehicle sales in the first half of 2023. Matt Simon, WIRED, 14 Feb. 2024 The hacking group, which US officials and private experts say has links to Russia’s foreign intelligence service, has gained a reputation as one of the stealthiest and most advanced cyber espionage groups in the world. Cnn.com Wire Service, The Mercury News, 25 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'stealthy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stealthy was in 1565

Dictionary Entries Near stealthy

Cite this Entry

“Stealthy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stealthy. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

stealthy

adjective
stealthier; stealthiest
1
: slow, deliberate, and secret in action or character
2
: intended to escape observation : furtive
stealthily adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on stealthy

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