evasive

[ ih-vey-siv ]

/ ɪˈveɪ sɪv /

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR evasive ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

tending or seeking to evade; characterized by evasion: an evasive answer.

elusive or evanescent.

Nearby words

Origin of evasive

First recorded in 1715–25; evas(ion) + -ive

Related forms

e·va·sive·ly, adverbe·va·sive·ness, nounnon·e·va·sive, adjectivenon·e·va·sive·ly, adverb

non·e·va·sive·ness, nounun·e·va·sive, adjectiveun·e·va·sive·ly, adverbun·e·va·sive·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for evasive

He did not however say that Putin lied, but rather that the Russian president's response was "suspiciously narrow" and evasive.
Sorry, Snowden: Putin Lied to You About His Surveillance State—And Made You a Pawn of It|Eli Lake|April 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
I've never seen London Mayor Boris Johnson look so awkward, evasive, and non-credible as in this BBC interview.
Boris Johnson's Awfully Embarrassing Interview|David Frum|March 26, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The rhetoric was mostly as empty of substance and evasive on details as a Paul Ryan budget.
Obama Must Fight One More Campaign: To Keep Senate & Win House in 2014|Robert Shrum|February 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Starting Jan. 1, 2013, taxes would rise on individuals across the board if no evasive action was taken.
Obama Brinksmanship Puts GOP in Tough Spot on Debt Ceiling|Daniel Gross|January 14, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Yet a big part of the reason that debate is so phony and evasive is the Jewish Democrats in Congress.
What The Hagel Fight Reveals|Peter Beinart|January 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
“They are free from all pain,” was the evasive answer; but it seemed to satisfy her.
Salt Water|W. H. G. Kingston
His questions on this point to his mother it was evident gave her pain, and were always met by some evasive answer.
The English Spy|Bernard Blackmantle
Gwen groaned as she remembered her sister's conscious looks and evasive replies.
The Youngest Girl in the Fifth|Angela Brazil
David could not hold back a flush; no evasive reply was waiting at his lips.
To Him That Hath|Leroy Scott
His speeches, however, were evasive and contained much special pleading as well as misstatement.
Abraham Lincoln|William Eleroy Curtis

British Dictionary definitions for evasive

evasive

/ (ɪˈveɪsɪv) /

adjective

tending or seeking to evade; avoiding the issue; not straightforward

avoiding or seeking to avoid trouble or difficultiesto take evasive action

hard to catch or obtain; elusive

Derived Formsevasively, adverbevasiveness, noun

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

evasive

adjective

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of evasive

Examples from the Web for evasive

British Dictionary definitions for evasive

evasive

adjective