Standard Lemma guide

stealth

adj · noun · verb · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • stĕlth
  • /stɛlθ/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • rhymes with -ɛlθ
  • CMU ARPABET: S T EH1 L TH Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adj

Meaning 1

Surreptitious; secret; not openly acknowledged.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adj

Meaning 2

Having properties that diminish radar signatures.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Topics: aeronautics, aerospace, aviation, business, engineering, government, military, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, politics, technology, transport, vehicles, war

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adj

Meaning 3

Hiding one's transgender status (in general or in specific areas of one's life, e.g. at work) after transition.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • go stealth; be stealth; live stealth

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: closeted

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

The attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy, or in such a way that the actions are unnoticed or difficult to detect by others.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: uncountable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

An act of secrecy, especially one involving thievery.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic, countable

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

verb

Meaning 6

To conceal or infiltrate through the use of stealth.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: especially

Topics: computing, engineering, government, mathematics, military, natural-sciences, physical-sciences, politics, sciences, war

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

7

verb

Meaning 7

To subject (someone) to stealthing (sexual intercourse without a condom through deception, for example removing the condom mid-act).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: slang, transitive

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

8

noun

Meaning 8

avoiding detection by moving carefully

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: stealing

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: concealment, concealing, hiding

History

Etymology

From Middle English stelthe, from Old English stǣlþ, from Proto-Germanic *stēliþō, to Proto-Germanic *stelaną (“to steal, to sneak”) + *-iþō, equivalent to steal + -th (abstract nominal suffix). Compare Old English stalu (“theft, stealth”), Old High German stāla (“theft”), German Diebstahl (“theft”).

Across languages

Translations

39 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: furtivitat — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • Chinese Cantonese: 隱身 /隐身 (jan2 san1) — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • Chinese Cantonese: 隱形 /隐形 (jan2 jing4) — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • Chinese Mandarin: 隱身 /隐身 (yǐnshēn) — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • Chinese Mandarin: 隱形 /隐形 (yǐnxíng) — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • Esperanto: kaŝeco — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • Finnish: salamyhkäisyys — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • Finnish: salakähmäisyys — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • Finnish: häive- — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • Finnish: häivetekniikka — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • French: furtivité — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • French: discrétion — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • German: Heimlichkeit — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • Greek: κλοπή (klopí) — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • Greek: λαθραία (lathraía) — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • Greek: μυστικότητα (mystikótita) — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • Hungarian: lopakodás — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • Hungarian: lopódzás — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • Hungarian: észrevétlenség — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • Hungarian: álcázás — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • Hungarian: titkosítás — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • Japanese: ステルス (suterusu) — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • Macedonian: прикраду́вање (prikradúvanje) — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • Macedonian: по́тајност (pótajnost) — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • Persian: پنهانکار (penhân-kâr) — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • Polish: chytrość — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • Polish: podstęp — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • Portuguese: furtividade — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • Portuguese: sorrateiro — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • Russian: хи́трость (xítrostʹ) — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • Russian: скры́тность (skrýtnost') — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • Russian: незаме́тность (n'ezamétnost') — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • Serbo-Croatian: по̏таја — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • Serbo-Croatian: прѝта̄јено̄ст — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • Serbo-Croatian: pȍtaja — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • Serbo-Croatian: prìtājenōst — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • Spanish: sigilo — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • Spanish: cautela — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy
  • Swedish: smygeri — attribute or characteristic of acting in secrecy