Meaning & Definition of word "Elusive"
Elusive
/ɪˈluːsɪv/
adjective:
- 1. Tending to evade grasp, perception, or understanding; difficult to find, catch, or achieve.
- Example: The elusive concept of happiness often changes with our circumstances.
- 2. Hard to identify or define; not clearly understood.
- Example: She had an elusive charm that captivated everyone around her.
- 3. In business or economics, hard to pin down or predict.
- Example: The company struggled to maintain elusive market trends in the face of evolving competition.
- 4. Difficulty in capturing or articulating.
- Example: The truth behind the incident remained elusive despite extensive investigations.
Etymology
●From Latin 'elusivus', from 'eluere' meaning 'to evade, to escape'.
Common Phrases and Expressions
an elusive target:
A goal that is hard to hit or achieve.
elusive answers:
Responses that are difficult to understand or grasp.
elusive concept:
An idea that is hard to define or clarify.
Related Words
evade:
To escape or avoid using cleverness.
slip away:
To escape quietly or unnoticed.
fugitive:
A person who has escaped from a place or is in hiding.
Slang Meanings of elusive
Meaning: Running from commitments
● Example Sentence: He is being so elusive, always running from his responsibilities.
Meaning: Hard to pin down
● Example Sentence: She's as elusive as a ghost at parties; you can never really catch her.