elusive
Americanadjective
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eluding or failing to allow for or accommodate a clear perception or complete mental grasp; hard to express or define.
an elusive concept.
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cleverly or skillfully evasive.
a fish too elusive to catch.
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difficult to find.
hoping that elusive donors will finally contribute.
adjective
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difficult to catch
an elusive thief
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preferring or living in solitude and anonymity
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difficult to remember
an elusive thought
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of elusive
Compare meaning
How does elusive compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
Things that are elusive are hard to find, pin down, or remember. They slip right out of your grasp. Ever try to catch a mouse? It's not easy, because mice are quick and elusive — they're tough to catch. Rabbits are speedy, so they're elusive too. Also, things that are tough to understand or describe are elusive — like the concepts of love and beauty. If you had an idea and then forgot it, the idea is elusive: it slipped away. Anything you can't get hold of, with your hands or with your brain, is elusive.
Vocabulary lists containing elusive
List 2
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The Hunger Games
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The Things They Carried
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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.
But peace remains elusive in many parts of the world: 65 armed conflicts involving at least one state actor were registered in 2025, the highest number since 1946, according to PRIO.
From Barron's ● Oct. 7, 2026
Eels evolved around 100 million years ago and remain among the most elusive and poorly understood animals living today.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 2, 2026
H&M said efforts to cut costs and improve efficiency continued to boost profitability in the quarter ending in August, but a decisive turnaround in top-line growth remained elusive.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
They began their second European campaign in the Norwegian city of Tromso last month, knowing the Conference League offers the chance of that elusive first trophy.
From BBC ● Sep. 19, 2026
Using radio telemetry tracking, they spotted the elusive Tao Tao up in a tree, hiding—frightened of the humans approaching...a great sign!
From "Camp Panda" by Catherine Thimmesh
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.
