elusive
adjective
eluding or failing to allow for or accommodate a clear perception or complete mental grasp; hard to express or define.
elusiveness
-
a word derived from
elusive.
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.
It’s hard to imagine an audience resisting the temptation to have the enigma central to the play’s meaning clarified, given its prominence in the plot and the drama’s woolly elusiveness.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
“We felt her presence in the lack of it,” he writes of her funeral, a fitting coda to her elusiveness.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2025
His elusiveness even sparked theories about whether he existed.
From Salon ● Mar. 4, 2025
Plus, in the spring game, Parker broke free for a 42-yard touchdown rush, evading tacklers with the speed and elusiveness that helped him stand out this spring.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 29, 2024
It was difficult to be specific when the core of a man’s character was elusiveness.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
