stealthy

[stel-thee]

adjective

stealthier, stealthiest 

1. done, characterized, or acting by stealth; furtive.

   stealthy footsteps.

ˈstealthy

/ ˈstɛlθɪ /

adjective

1. characterized by great caution, secrecy, etc; furtive

Other Word Forms

• stealthiness noun
• stealthily adverb
• unstealthiness noun
• unstealthy adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of ˈstealthy¹

First recorded in 1595–1605; stealth + -y ¹

Example Sentences

In all, a surprisingly stealthy showing for a team that just two weeks ago folded in the final ticks in Illinois.

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He’s stealthy, awkward around others and profoundly unaware of his beauty and power.

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Despite my best efforts, grief crept in, unexpected and stealthy with its delayed arrival.

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At one point, the president used the word “stealth” when discussing U.S. military planes, then turned around and remarked, “You guys want to be stealthy tonight. You can be stealthy — you’ll never lose, right?”

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“The indirect nature of the spending, the fact that it’s flowing through universities and private companies in way that is kind of stealthy and hidden.”

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Related Words

• crafty