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

Outside some cancers, he says, the promise of precision medicine has remained elusive.

From The Wall Street Journal

Finding consensus on this issue has been elusive.

From BBC

In one of India's coldest and most remote regions, a group of women have taken on an unlikely role: protecting one of Asia's most elusive predators, the snow leopard.

From BBC

He then had to wait until the 2022 Autumn clash against Georgia to win the first of his Test caps, although an appearance in the Six Nations has so far remained elusive.

From Barron's

Meanwhile, a drumbeat of defections have given the party a dose of that elusive political currency: momentum.

From BBC

Related Words

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