stiletto
Americannoun
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a short dagger with a blade that is thick in proportion to its width.
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a pointed instrument for making eyelet holes in needlework.
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spike heel. stiletto heel.
verb (used with object)
noun
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a small dagger with a slender tapered blade
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a sharply pointed tool used to make holes in leather, cloth, etc
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Also called: spike heel. stiletto heel. a very high heel on a woman's shoe, tapering to a very narrow tip
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of stiletto
First recorded in 1605–15; from Italian, equivalent to stil(o) “dagger” (from Latin stilus stylus ) + -etto -ette
Explanation
A killer in an old British mystery novel might carry a stiletto — a long, sharp, needle-like knife that's used for stabbing. Whether denoting a small dagger, a high heel, or sharp-pointed tool, this word from Italian always means business. It follows the rule, reliable ninety percent of the time, when doubts arise about spelling Italian imports: the double consonant follows the accented syllable. The root is the Latin word stilus, which means "pointed writing instrument."
Vocabulary lists containing stiletto
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
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On Trend: Fashionable Words
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The Hate U Give
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In a bejeweled white pantsuit and towering stiletto pumps, Megyn Kelly tried to work the crowd like a rock star.
From Slate • May 6, 2026
One studio manager recalled that her habit of striding across the studio in stiletto heels damaged the floor but no-one had the courage to tell her.
From BBC • Aug. 11, 2025
Yet unlike the doll of last year’s blockbuster movie, the next pop-culture star who’s about to re-emerge isn’t a statuesque blonde in stiletto heels.
From New York Times • Apr. 10, 2024
By now, we know these grand plans are often curtailed by the other stiletto dropping.
From Salon • Aug. 13, 2023
On one hip he wore a stiletto, on the other a Dothraki arakh.
From "A Dance with Dragons" by George R. R. Martin
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
