Definitions Related words Phrases Mentions Lyrics History Colors (New!) Easter eggs (New!)

Literary notes about stealth (AI summary)

The word “stealth” in literature is often used to evoke actions that are hidden, secretive, and sometimes even morally dubious. Early poetic works, such as those by Robert Burns [1], use “stealth” to suggest a sly, almost mischievous quality—a trait of a “pawkie thief” who acts in the dark. In classical and historical texts, like Cicero’s Tusculan Disputations [2] or Carlyle’s history [3], the term conveys notions of underhandedness and illicit gain, suggesting that something valuable has been taken without open acknowledgment. The covert nature of stealth is further explored in narratives of personal or social subterfuge, as seen in works by Kipling [4], Dickens [5, 6], and Brontë [7, 8], where characters operate in the shadows either to hide their true identities or to carry out schemes quietly. Additionally, the term frequently appears in military or tactical contexts—illustrated by references in Sherman’s memoirs [9]—underscoring its association with strategic concealment. Whether in the realm of personal emotion, societal behavior, or strategic warfare, “stealth” consistently symbolizes the act of doing something out of sight, be it for survival, subversion, or subterfuge.
  1. Dear Smith, the slee'st, pawkie thief, That e'er attempted stealth or rief!
    — from Poems and Songs of Robert Burns by Robert Burns
  2. Beasts, therefore, as I said before, possess it by stealth, but their masters openly and freely.
    — from Cicero's Tusculan Disputations by Marcus Tullius Cicero
  3. Add only, that the body of this same rose-stifled, beatified-Patriarch cannot get buried except by stealth.
    — from The French Revolution: A History by Thomas Carlyle
  4. They would feed him raw beef on a platter at the barrack-school, and he must smoke by stealth.
    — from Kim by Rudyard Kipling
  5. If, in so doing, he took another glance at the bargeman, he did it by stealth.
    — from Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens
  6. Do you mean to say that you don’t know they went away by stealth, as soon as it was light this morning?’
    — from The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens
  7. "The knowledge it brings you is bought too dear, Monsieur; this coming and going by stealth degrades your own dignity."
    — from Villette by Charlotte Brontë
  8. "Discoveries made by stealth seem to me dishonourable discoveries."
    — from Villette by Charlotte Brontë
  9. Thenceforth, they could not cross it save by stealth, and the military affairs on its west bank became unimportant.
    — from Memoirs of General William T. Sherman — Complete by William T. Sherman

More usage examples

Also see: Google, News, Images, Wikipedia, Reddit, BlueSky


Home   Reverse Dictionary / Thesaurus   Datamuse   Word games   Spruce   Feedback   Dark mode   Random word   Help


Color thesaurus

Use OneLook to find colors for words and words for colors

See an example

Literary notes

Use OneLook to learn how words are used by great writers

See an example

Word games

Try our innovative vocabulary games

Play Now

Read the latest OneLook newsletter issue: Compound Your Joy