stiletto

noun

sti·​let·​to stə-ˈle-(ˌ)tō 

plural stilettos or stilettoes

1

: a slender dagger with a blade thick in proportion to its breadth

2

: a pointed instrument for piercing holes for eyelets or embroidery

3

: stiletto heel

also : a shoe with a stiletto heel

Examples of stiletto in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Long Skirt + Tank + Oversize Jacket Play with texture by mixing suede boots with stiletto or kitten heels with an oversized leather bomber jacket, a combination that has a polished vibe without being overly fussy or complicated to put together. —Aemilia Madden, Glamour, 29 Aug. 2025

On that occasion, beauty mogul Bieber wore a black and white polka dot midi dress from Dolce and Gabbana, Kylie sported a black cutout, high waist pencil skirt dress, while Hadid, 28, wore a black midi dress, with pointy stilettos and a black Valentino Panthea bag. —Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 21 Aug. 2025

Nicki Minaj is raising her glass to Pink, who tried out the rapper’s viral stiletto challenge and absolutely knocked it out of the park. —Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 15 Aug. 2025

As for shoes and accessories, Klum opted for a pair of translucent sandal stilettos. —Julia Teti, Footwear News, 7 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Italian, diminutive of stilo stylus, dagger, from Latin stilus stylus — more at style

First Known Use

circa 1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing stiletto

• stiletto heel

Rhymes for stiletto

• hereto
• libretto
• magneto
• palmetto
• whereto
• allegretto
• lazaretto
• ghetto
• seto

Kids Definition

stiletto

noun

sti·​let·​to stə-ˈlet-ō 

plural stilettos or stilettoes

: a slender dagger