Something or someone that is elusive is difficult to find, describe, remember, or achieve.
In London late-night taxis are elusive and far from cheap.
elusivenessuncountable noun
...the elusiveness of her character. [+ of]
More Synonyms of elusive
elusive in British English
(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 note at illusory
Derived forms
elusively (eˈlusively)
adverb
elusiveness (eˈlusiveness)
noun
elusive in American English
(iˈlusɪv; ɪˈlusɪv)
adjective
1.
tending to elude
2.
hard to grasp or retain mentally; baffling
Also ; Rare eˈlusory (ilusəri; ɪlusəri)
Derived forms
elusively (eˈlusively)
adverb
elusiveness (eˈlusiveness)
noun
Word origin
< L elusus (see elusion) + -ive
Examples of 'elusive' in a sentence
elusive
Ignoring the voters is an unaffordable luxury and a guarantee that power will remain elusive for many years to come.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
That elusive first win league win for the Scot may be some way off yet.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Yet for many it can remain frustratingly elusive, especially at that critical moment when boldness is required.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
This was a far more elusive experience.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
And so the hunt for that elusive first gold continues.
The Sun (2012)
To gaze at our elusive past can seem an insufficient contribution in such circumstances.
Rowbotham, Sheila The Past is Before Us - feminism in action since the 1960s (1989)
Yet they are elusive creatures and are rarely seen.
The Sun (2006)
She has the sort of elusive quality that fashion goes crazy for.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Stoke should be safe but need to find that elusive win to take them over the line.
The Sun (2011)
Was she an elusive and difficult person from his past?
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
Equal rights have been won but equal status and equal power remain far more elusive.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
But there was always an elusive quality to her beauty.
Paula Byrne PERDITA: The Life of Mary Robinson (2004)
Nor did we find our elusive wolf.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Comedy is a far more elusive skill.
John Fisher Tommy Cooper: Always Leave Them Laughing (2006)
The longer you look at this image the more elusive it seems to grow.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The players should be aware that something is missing from their mix and search for that elusive quality.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Many who would benefit from the support and selfesteem boost of a stable partner find such comfort elusive.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
The first is that it is very hard to get good scientific information about a creature as elusive as a marine mammal.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Things get clearer at the end, but a lot of evidence remains elusive.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
Yesterday, you sensed he just wanted to protect his chance of winning that elusive first major.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
It sounded pretty serious, but meaning remained stubbornly elusive.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
He has gone close at the Festival but that elusive first winner still awaits.
The Sun (2012)
There is a long history of sightings of large, elusive creatures.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
The real Thurman is far more elusive than that.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
And as with all great works of art, its meaning was both obvious and rather difficult and elusive to explain.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
Dinner remained elusive; instead, there were classes in setting traps and making fires.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
In other languages
elusive
British English: elusive ADJECTIVE
Something or someone that is elusive is difficult to find, describe, remember, or achieve.
In the city late-night taxis are elusive and far from cheap.
American English: elusive
Brazilian Portuguese: elusivo
Chinese: 难 > 的找、形容、记、取得
European Spanish: esquivo
French: insaisissable
German: schwer fassbar
Italian: difficile da ottenere
Japanese: 入手しにくい
Korean: 잘도 빠져나가는
European Portuguese: elusivo
Latin American Spanish: esquivo
Chinese translation of 'elusive'
elusive
(ɪˈluːsɪv)
adj
[person, animal]不易找到的 (bùyì zhǎodào de)
[quality]难(難)以捉摸的 (nányǐ zhuōmō de)
1 (adjective)
Definition
difficult to find or catch
I had no luck in tracking down this elusive man.
Synonyms
difficult to catch
tricky
They could encounter some tricky political manoeuvring.
slippery
a slippery customer
difficult to find
evasive
He was evasive about the circumstances of their first meeting.
shifty (informal)
He had a shifty face and previous convictions.
2 (adjective)
Definition
difficult to remember or describe
an attempt to recapture an elusive memory
Synonyms
indefinable
There was something indefinable in her eyes.
puzzling
fleeting
They caught only a fleeting glimpse of the driver.
subtle
baffling
I was constantly ill, with a baffling array of symptoms.
indefinite
transient
the transient nature of high fashion
intangible
the intangible dimensions of our existence
indescribable
The stench from the sewer is indescribable.
transitory
Most teenage romances are transitory.
indistinct
3 (adjective)
an elusive answer
Synonyms
evasive
puzzling
misleading
The article contains several misleading statements.
baffling
ambiguous
His remarks clarify an ambiguous statement given earlier this week.
fraudulent
deceptive
Appearances can be deceptive.
illusory
the illusory nature of nationhood
equivocal
Her equivocal response gave nothing away.
fallacious
Their argument is fallacious.
unspecific
oracular
elusory
Usage note
The spelling of elusive, as in a shy, elusive character, should be noted. This adjective derives from the verb elude, and should not be confused with the rare word illusive meaning `not real' or `based on illusion'.
Additional synonyms
in the sense of ambiguous
Definition
having more than one possible interpretation
His remarks clarify an ambiguous statement given earlier this week.
Synonyms
unclear,
puzzling,
uncertain,
obscure,
vague,
doubtful,
dubious,
enigmatic,
indefinite,
inconclusive,
cryptic,
indeterminate,
equivocal,
Delphic,
oracular,
enigmatical,
clear as mud (informal)
in the sense of baffling
I was constantly ill, with a baffling array of symptoms.