stealthy

[stel-thee]

See more synonyms for stealthy on Thesaurus.com

adjective, stealth·i·er, stealth·i·est.

done, characterized, or acting by stealth; furtive: stealthy footsteps.

Origin of stealthy

First recorded in 1595–1605; stealth + -y¹

Related formsstealth·i·ly, adverbstealth·i·ness, nounun·stealth·i·ly, adverbun·stealth·i·ness, nounun·stealth·y, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for stealthily

Contemporary Examples

Technology that stealthily decimates in the blink of an eye, that is what is what Israel needs in the Twenty-First Century.
Israel Needs Better War Technology
Lloyd Green
July 7, 2014
But Le Monde likened her to Hollande, or even Angela Merkel, the stealthily unassuming figure who pulls out the big win.
French Vote Thrusts Two Women Into the Spotlight
Tracy McNicoll
March 31, 2014
But the California-based chain has stealthily become a huge company, with 283 outlets.
What Happens When Fast Food Actually Pays
Daniel Gross
July 31, 2013
All it takes is one little white lie, and Frances stealthily gets her foot in the door of the Kyte family home.
Must-Read Fiction: ‘The Watch,’ ‘Alys, Always,’ ‘The Year of the Gadfly’
Cameron Martin, Lucy Scholes, Amber Dermont
June 19, 2012
Stealthily, he walked the lawyer to the cell and showed him the secret.
An Excerpt from Between the Assassinations
Aravind Adiga
June 10, 2009

Historical Examples

Stealthily she rose to a stooping position at the boat's side.
The Monster Men
Edgar Rice Burroughs
The Viceroy was stealthily reaching for the sun-tube dangling from his belt.
Slaves of Mercury
Nat Schachner
So I turned, and went as swiftly and stealthily as possible towards the library.
The Strolling Saint
Raphael Sabatini
Already he was moving quickly, stealthily, towards the door.
The Historical Nights Entertainment, Second Series
Rafael Sabatini
He groped 125 stealthily behind him and found the door catch.
Once to Every Man
Larry Evans

British Dictionary definitions for stealthily

stealthy

adjective stealthier or stealthiest

characterized by great caution, secrecy, etc; furtive

Derived Formsstealthily, adverbstealthiness, noun

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

Word Origin and History for stealthily

stealthy

adj.

c.1600, from stealth + -y (2). Related: Stealthily; stealthiness.

stealthy

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}stealthy

Examples from the Web for stealthily

Contemporary Examples

Technology that stealthily decimates in the blink of an eye, that is what is what Israel needs in the Twenty-First Century.

But Le Monde likened her to Hollande, or even Angela Merkel, the stealthily unassuming figure who pulls out the big win.

But the California-based chain has stealthily become a huge company, with 283 outlets.

All it takes is one little white lie, and Frances stealthily gets her foot in the door of the Kyte family home.

Stealthily, he walked the lawyer to the cell and showed him the secret.

Historical Examples

Stealthily she rose to a stooping position at the boat's side.

The Viceroy was stealthily reaching for the sun-tube dangling from his belt.

So I turned, and went as swiftly and stealthily as possible towards the library.

Already he was moving quickly, stealthily, towards the door.

He groped 125 stealthily behind him and found the door catch.

stealthy

Word Origin and History for stealthily

stealthy

adj.

Origin of stealthy