e·lu·sive

[ih-loo-siv]
adjective
1.
eluding 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.
Also, e·lu·so·ry [ih-loo-suh-ree, -zuh-] .


Origin:
1710–20; elus(ion) + -ive

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

elusive, illusory.


2. tricky, slippery, shifty; puzzling, baffling.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source Link To elusive
00:10
Elusive is always a great word to know.
So is slumgullion. Does it mean:
a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.
a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.
Collins
World English Dictionary
elusive (ɪˈluːsɪv) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
adj
1.  difficult to catch: an elusive thief
2.  preferring or living in solitude and anonymity
3.  difficult to remember: an elusive thought
 
 
e'lusively
 
adv
 
e'lusiveness
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

elusive
1719, from L. elus-, pp. stem of eludere (see elude) + -ive. Related: Elusiveness.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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Example sentences
He was inspired by the idea that movies could be so mysterious, elusive, and
  unpredictable.
He has a reputation as a tough player who is especially elusive in the open
  field.
But success has been elusive, the challenge too great, and such machines have
  remained the stuff of science fiction.
The critically endangered species is elusive, rarely photographed and almost
  never observed in the wild.
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