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 of stealthy

• 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

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

Now, after a stealthy black spin on the sneaker and a chrome-like Metallic Silver, the Nike First Sight Shadow is further leaning into its Foamposite lineage with a new Light Crimson red look. — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 16 Sep. 2026

The book spends a lot of time making this wealthy group less stealthy with statistics and stories. — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 14 Sep. 2026

The owner specified it in tasteful Harrier dark gray paint, which was then covered in a satin paint-protection film to give a stealthy matte finish. — Howard Walker, Robb Report, 11 Sep. 2026

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