stealthy

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

Synonyms

• 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

the stealthy movements of the crocodile

cats are among the stealthiest of stalkers

Recent Examples on the Web

Another stealthy way to store spice jars is behind a sliding door above the countertop. —Mary Cornetta, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Sep. 2025

The servers could be commanded remotely to create massive amounts of phone traffic in a stealthy and unceasing operation that switched out SIM cards quickly to keep federal law enforcement off its trail. —John Miller, CNN Money, 23 Sep. 2025

The British designer made a stealthy comeback in 2023 with a namesake label hinged on her brand of modern minimalism, womanly allure and uncompromising quality. —Wwd Staff, Footwear News, 10 Sep. 2025

Not sure if this one was already posted besides all the other fancy stuff … looks like a new cruise missile (most likely a land-attack system) and maybe also as a stealthy KD-20/20A replacement? —Sujita Sinha, Interesting Engineering, 2 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

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