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.
Here, in L.A., still pursuing the elusive, ultimate goal — a Super Bowl title.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 22, 2026
Economists are raising estimates for a key indicator known as the neutral rate of interest—an elusive level where borrowing costs neither restrict nor stimulate growth.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 20, 2026
But DNA studies show the cat is actually in a class of its own, highlighting how much remains unknown about some of the world's most elusive mammals.
From BBC ● Sep. 17, 2026
Rydberg atom simulators are one possible platform for such an experiment and could provide a promising route toward finally detecting these elusive quantum quasiparticles.
From Science Daily ● Sep. 7, 2026
Something in his thoughts had stirred an elusive memory in Ranofer’s mind.
From "The Golden Goblet" by Eloise Jarvis McGraw
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.
