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

The result should be a strategy that combines three types of capabilities: expendable uncrewed systems, such as drones and missiles; stealthy penetrating platforms, such as B-21 bombers and Virginia-class submarines; and legacy power-projection forces, such as aircraft carriers. —Zack Cooper, Foreign Affairs, 21 Feb. 2025

While Naoe was the stealthy route, Yasuke was more direct and focused on combat. —Gieson Cacho, The Mercury News, 20 Feb. 2025

But consider all that has happened since the first of the year: A stealthy investor group known as Project Rise Partners has gone public with a Hail Mary bid that values Paramount Global at $13.5 billion, significantly higher, on paper, than the Skydance-RedBird price tag. —Cynthia Littleton, Variety, 19 Feb. 2025

At the time of his arrest, the stealthy Ulbricht was hiring a hitman to take out a rival. —Charlie Fink, Forbes, 23 Jan. 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