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 adverb
stealthiness noun
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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep clutter to a minimum, especially in a small bedroom, by incorporating stealthy storage. Elizabeth Stamp, Architectural Digest, 10 Mar. 2025 Japan, outfoxed by the stealthy maneuverer in the White House, had to recede. Robert W. Merry, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 7 Mar. 2025 One administrator in the NIH director’s office resigned in protest this week, partly over the freeze in meetings, saying the Federal Register issue is a stealthy way to not draw legal challenges. Byjocelyn Kaiser, science.org, 21 Feb. 2025 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 See All Example Sentences for stealthy

Word History

First Known Use

1565, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of stealthy was in 1565

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Cite this Entry

“Stealthy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/stealthy. Accessed 13 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

stealthy

adjective
stealthier; stealthiest
1
: slow, deliberate, and secret in action or character
2
: intended to escape observation : furtive
stealthily adverb

More from Merriam-Webster on stealthy

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