Advertisement

Advertisement

View synonyms for stealth

stealth

[ stelth ]

noun

  1. secret, clandestine, or surreptitious procedure.
  2. a furtive departure or entrance.
  3. Obsolete.
    1. an act of stealing; theft.
    2. the thing stolen; booty.
  4. Stealth, Military. a U.S. Air Force project involving a range of technologies, with the purpose of developing aircraft that are difficult to detect by sight, sound, radar, and infrared energy.


adjective

  1. not openly acknowledged; surreptitious; secret:

    They used underhand methods such as the stealth hiring of a competitor's CEO.

    Spending cuts are the stealth issue of this presidential race.

  2. (of a transgender person) living as a cisgender member of one's identified gender, without revealing that one is transgender:

    For some transgender people, being stealth may be the safest option.

stealth

1

/ stɛlθ /

noun

  1. the act or characteristic of moving with extreme care and quietness, esp so as to avoid detection

    the stealth of a cat

  2. cunning or underhand procedure or dealing
  3. archaic.
    the act of stealing
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012


Stealth

2

/ stɛlθ /

noun

  1. informal.
    modifier denoting or referring to technology that aims to reduce the radar, thermal, and acoustic recognizability of aircraft and missiles
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Discover More

Derived Forms

  • ˈstealthful, adjective
Discover More

Other Words From

  • stealth·ful adjective
  • stealth·ful·ly adverb
  • stealth·less adjective
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of stealth1

First recorded in 1200–50; Middle English stelthe, stelth; compare Old English stælthing “theft”; steal, -th 1
Discover More

Word History and Origins

Origin of stealth1

C13 stelthe ; see steal , -th 1
Discover More

Example Sentences

When Cerebras first came out of stealth last year, the company said it could significantly speed up the training of deep learning models.

In two years, the Cardinals have transformed from humiliation to stealth Super Bowl threat.

Statespace launched out of stealth in 2017 with a product called Aim Lab.

I can’t think of any other multiplayer experience that put so many resources into building a compelling stealth experience to play with friends.

The pressure you put on an area depends in part on your stealth and on the species you’re targeting, though Cobbs says environmental factors—temperature, rain, barometric pressure—seem to affect fish more than human pressure.

Another senior Air Force official with stealth fighter experience agreed.

High flying and fast, the F-22 Raptor stealth jet is by far the most lethal fighter America has ever built.

That means it could take several missile shots to kill an enemy fighter, even for an advanced stealth aircraft like the Raptor.

The Chinese military has a new stealth jet, but what messages are they sending as it is prepared for active service?

Think advanced unmanned vehicles, all-aspect, broadband stealth, and undersea warfare.

Nonjurors and Scotch Episcopalians could only meet by stealth in private houses.

Then why these secret messages, and the gold thread, and the gardener's child's coat to be got by stealth?

But when Peter the Hermit took flight by stealth, the whole army raged in despair.

And, as for the other band, these shall advance with stealth upon the open and hide behind the rocks.

The older men visited their homes on "leave of absence," (p. 027) the younger by stealth at night.

Advertisement

Discover More

More About Stealth

What does stealth mean?

Stealth is a specific way of acting or moving that is intended to be secret or of avoiding detection, as in The cat used its stealth to sneak up on the unsuspecting mouse. 

Stealth is also used to describe something that is secret or is trying to avoid detection, as in The thieves organized a stealth meeting, away from the watchful eyes of the detectives.

The adjectives stealthful and stealthy are used to describe something that uses stealth, as in The stealthy fox managed to avoid getting caught by the farmer’s dogs. 

Stealthily and stealthfully are used to describe something done with stealth, as in Santa Claus stealthily slipped the Christmas presents into the stockings to avoid waking the children.  

Example: The spy used cunning and stealth to sneak into the embassy and smuggle out the documents. 

Where does stealth come from?

The first records of stealth come from around 1200. It comes from Middle English stelthe or stelth and is related to the Old English stælthing, meaning “theft.” Stealth used to mean “theft” or the act of stealing, but this usage is now considered obsolete.

In popular culture, stealth is often an important quality for sneaky persons, such as spies, thieves, secret agents, and ninjas. Often, these crafty people have fancy gadgets or technology that allow them to avoid detection and enhance their stealth. In gaming, a character will often have a “stealth skill” to express how good (or bad) they are at sneaking around and avoiding getting found by enemies.

In real life, stealth is equally important for people or things that are trying to avoid being caught. For example, stealth jets and similar aircraft are designed to be difficult to see against the sky or to avoid radar equipment.

Did you know … ?

What are some other forms related to stealth?

  • stealthful (adjective)
  • stealthily (adverb)
  • stealthless (adjective)

What are some synonyms for stealth?

What are some words that share a root or word element with stealth

What are some words that often get used in discussing stealth?

How is stealth used in real life?

Stealth is a commonly used word to describe attempts at avoiding detection or being sneaky.

Try using stealth!

Which of the following words would NOT be a synonym of stealth?

A. covertness
B. furtiveness
C. openness
D. slyness

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


steal someone's thunderStealth bomber