elusive

[ih-loo-siv]

See more synonyms for elusive on Thesaurus.com

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

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

Related formse·lu·sive·ly, adverbe·lu·sive·ness, nounnon·e·lu·sive, adjectivenon·e·lu·sive·ly, adverbnon·e·lu·sive·ness, nounun·e·lu·sive, adjectiveun·e·lu·sive·ly, adverbun·e·lu·sive·ness, nounun·e·lu·so·ry, adjective

Can be confusedelusive illusory

Synonyms for elusive

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2. tricky, slippery, shifty; puzzling, baffling.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for elusiveness

flight, rescue, disappearance, freedom, departure, liberation, desertion, breakout, withdrawal, outbreak, spring, powder, slip, out, abdication, evasion, avoidance, lam, beat, evasiveness

Examples from the Web for elusiveness

Contemporary Examples of elusiveness

Of course, the innate watchability of these socialites is matched only by their elusiveness.
The Surreal Genius of Bravo’s Rich Kids Docudrama ‘NYC Prep’
Amy Zimmerman
April 23, 2014
One of the defining aspects of the uprising is its elusiveness.
Blindsided in Brazil
Mac Margolis
June 20, 2013
The elusiveness at Obama's core, which once served him so well, has turned back on itself, arousing suspicions.
The Inescapable President
Eric Dezenhall
September 18, 2009

Historical Examples of elusiveness

His Alpine climbing had taught him the elusiveness of isolated peaks of knowledge.
Mountain Meditations
L. Lind-af-Hageby
Not an adventurer or escroc in Europe could compare with him in elusiveness.
The Minister of Evil
William Le Queux
"Desire-compelling, with the elusiveness of the rainbow's end," was another.
Lady Bountiful
George 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 Literature
W. F. (William Franklin) Webster

British Dictionary definitions for elusiveness

elusive

adjective

difficult to catchan elusive thief
preferring or living in solitude and anonymity
difficult to rememberan elusive thought

Derived Formselusively, adverbelusiveness, noun

xref

See illusory

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for elusiveness

elusive

adj.

1719, from Latin elus-, past participle stem of eludere (see elude) + -ive. Related: Elusiveness.