stealthy

1 of 2

adjective

ˈstel-thē 

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

ˈstel-thə-lē 

adverb

stealthiness

ˈstel-thē-nəs 

noun

stealthiness

2 of 2

noun

stealth·​i·​ness -thēnə̇s 

-thin-

plural -es

: the quality or state of being stealthy

Synonyms of stealthy

Adjective

• shady
• sneaky
• furtive
• sly

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

Adjective

the stealthy movements of the crocodile

cats are among the stealthiest of stalkers

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

To build a stealthy ocean-monitoring platform for the Office of Naval Research, Professor Shepherd needed a propulsion system that would not startle marine life. — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 1 Oct. 2026

Akhtar the author, though, is conducting a stealthy psyop aimed at detonating the certainties of combatants on both sides. — Literary Hub, 1 Oct. 2026

Sporting a Black/Off Noir colorway, the Air Jordan 16 Retro SP Black Pack drapes Michael Jordan’s sixteenth signature sneaker in a stealthy triple-black colorway. — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026

A lot of the appeal of going to theaters is that the performance remains a mystery right up until showtime, a benefit that stealthy filming could threaten, said Bradley, a waiter and theatre director. — Sophie Tanno, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1565, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for stealthy

• healthy
• wealthy
• unhealthy

Kids Definition

stealthy

adjective

ˈstel-thē 

stealthier; stealthiest

1

: slow, deliberate, and secret in action or character

2

: intended to escape observation : furtive

stealthily

-thə-lē 

adverb