elusive

[ ih-loo-siv ]

adjective

1. eluding or failing to allow for or accommodate a clear perception or complete mental grasp; hard to express or define:

   an elusive concept.

2. cleverly or skillfully evasive:

   a fish too elusive to catch.

   Synonyms: baffling, puzzling, shifty, slippery, tricky

3. difficult to find:

   hoping that elusive donors will finally contribute.

elusive

/ ɪˈluːsɪv /

adjective

1. difficult to catch

   an elusive thief

2. preferring or living in solitude and anonymity
3. difficult to remember

   an elusive thought

Usage

See illusory

Derived Forms

• eˈlusively, adverb
• eˈlusiveness, noun

Other Words From

• e·lusive·ly adverb
• e·lusive·ness noun
• none·lusive adjective
• none·lusive·ly adverb
• none·lusive·ness noun
• une·lusive adjective
• une·lusive·ly adverb
• une·lusive·ness noun
• une·luso·ry adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of elusive¹

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

Example Sentences

Their cousin sign, Aquarius, often shoulders the reputation of being the unicorn of the zodiac, but it is Sagittarius that is just as, and sometimes more so, elusive and audacious.

From Los Angeles Times

But despite attempts from the best scientists and philosophers, what color truly is, if it’s even anything tangible, remains elusive.

From Salon

Even the tree that marks the spot where they’re supposed to meet the elusive Godot is like something out of an art installation.

From Los Angeles Times

The material, based on a framework of ruthenium, fulfils the requirements of the 'Kitaev quantum spin liquid state' -- an elusive phenomenon that scientists have been trying to understand for decades.

From Science Daily

His rhymes are intermittently clever and the chorus contains several sticky hooks, but that fresh, benevolent trickster’s energy that made “Old Town Road” feel so ahead of the curve still remains an elusive quantity.

From New York Times

Related Words

• ambiguous
• fleeting
• illusory
• incomprehensible
• puzzling
• slippery
• subtle
• tricky
• volatile