elusive
[ih-loo-siv]
adjective
eluding or failing to allow for or accommodate a clear perception or complete mental grasp; hard to express or define: an elusive concept.
cleverly or skillfully evasive: a fish too elusive to catch.
difficult to find: hoping that elusive donors will finally contribute.
Also e·lu·so·ry [ih-loo-suh-ree, -zuh-] /ɪˈlu sə ri, -zə-/.
Origin of elusive
Synonyms for elusive
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Related Words for elusiveness
flight, rescue, disappearance, freedom, departure, liberation, desertion, breakout, withdrawal, outbreak, spring, powder, slip, out, abdication, evasion, avoidance, lam, beat, evasivenessExamples from the Web for elusiveness
Contemporary Examples of elusiveness
Of course, the innate watchability of these socialites is matched only by their elusiveness.
One of the defining aspects of the uprising is its elusiveness.
The elusiveness at Obama's core, which once served him so well, has turned back on itself, arousing suspicions.
Historical Examples of elusiveness
His Alpine climbing had taught him the elusiveness of isolated peaks of knowledge.
Mountain MeditationsL. Lind-af-Hageby
Not an adventurer or escroc in Europe could compare with him in elusiveness.
The Minister of EvilWilliam Le Queux
"Desire-compelling, with the elusiveness of the rainbow's end," was another.
Lady BountifulGeorge A. Birmingham
She possessed an elusiveness that captivates more surely than beauty.
Captain Desmond, V.C.Maud Diver
The seat of the difficulty is in the elusiveness of the material.
English: Composition and LiteratureW. F. (William Franklin) Webster
elusive
adjective
xref
See illusory
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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elusive
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper