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

• furtive
• shady
• shifty
• slippery
• sly
• sneaking
• sneaky

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

Blackbird and Void are stealthier types, with the former taking on recon duties to reveal enemy locations and the latter capable of turning invisible and shrouding the squad in smoke. —Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 2 May 2025

As all the attention is being paid to President Donald Trump’s tariff policies that create international chaos and whip global markets into a frenzy, a stealthy change has emerged. —Jack Kelly, Forbes.com, 16 Apr. 2025

The United States must therefore pair initiatives to produce cheap drones with ones aimed at making survivable and reusable airpower, especially stealthy planes. —Stacie L. Pettyjohn, Foreign Affairs, 10 Mar. 2025

My network—stealthy enough that thieves often don’t even know they’re being tracked. —Katie Jackson, Travel + Leisure, 27 Apr. 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