definitions

elusive

[ ih-loo-siv ]
/ ɪˈlu sɪv /
|
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.

RELATED WORDS

tricky, ambiguous, volatile, fleeting, puzzling, illusory, slippery, subtle, incomprehensible, unclear, deceptive, misleading, cagey, vague, false, baffling, deceitful, equivocal, evanescent, fallacious

Nearby words

elude, eluent, elul, elura, elusion, elusive, elusively, elusory, elute, elution, elutriate
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 forms
Can be confusedelusive illusory
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

British Dictionary definitions for elusory (1 of 2)

elusory

/ (ɪˈluːsərɪ) /

adjective

avoiding the issue; evasiveelusory arguments
difficult to grasp mentally; elusiveelusory ideas

British Dictionary definitions for elusory (2 of 2)

elusive

/ (ɪˈluːsɪv) /

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