elusive

American  

[ih-loo-siv] / ɪˈlu sɪv /

Also elusory

adjective

1. eluding or failing to allow for or accommodate a clear perception or complete mental grasp; hard to express or define.

   an elusive concept.

2. cleverly or skillfully evasive.

   a fish too elusive to catch.

   Synonyms:

   baffling, puzzling, shifty, slippery, tricky

3. difficult to find.

   hoping that elusive donors will finally contribute.

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elusive British  

/ ɪˈluːsɪv /

adjective

1. difficult to catch

   an elusive thief

2. preferring or living in solitude and anonymity

3. difficult to remember

   an elusive thought

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Other Word Forms

• elusively adverb
• elusiveness noun
• nonelusive adjective
• nonelusively adverb
• nonelusiveness noun
• unelusive adjective
• unelusively adverb
• unelusiveness noun
• unelusory adjective

Etymology

Origin of elusive

First recorded in 1710–20; elus(ion) + -ive

Compare meaning

How does elusive compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• allusive vs. elusive

Example Sentences

Still, its quiet exemplified the elusive essence of peace.

From Los Angeles Times

Or is it something more elusive: the felt quality of being, the fact that there is something it is like to be you at all?

From Los Angeles Times

It all adds up to a severe examination of Arsenal just as they look to be creaking under the pressure of chasing that elusive Premier League crown.

From BBC

This elusive, tantalizing novel aims for the effect of the raga—to conjure “the sadness, the richness, the pleasure of the waiting and the wandering.”

From The Wall Street Journal

But the lure of catching the elusive fish, and the camaraderie of the hunt, draw people back year after year.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• ambiguous
• fleeting
• illusory
• incomprehensible
• puzzling
• slippery
• subtle
• tricky
• volatile