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

Pump-jets are quieter (less cavitation), which would support stealthy movement, especially underwater or near-surface. —Prabhat Ranjan Mishra, Interesting Engineering, 4 Dec. 2025

Go stealthy with guard takedowns and creative kills, or loud with guns and explosions. —PC Magazine, 1 Dec. 2025

Given its stealthy look and rugged build, this Air Max 95 OG Big Bubble would be well-suited for the winter weather, but an exact release date has not been confirmed. —Riley Jones, Footwear News, 29 Nov. 2025

In addition, the system can increase lift by controlling airflow on the leading edge of the wing, and the lack of control surfaces makes the aircraft inherently more stealthy because there's less chance of radar signals finding angles to bounce off of. —New Atlas, 25 Nov. 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