SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
elusive
adjective
Difficult to find, catch, achieve, or define.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Hard to find or grasp
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topEvasive can imply deliberate avoidance; an elusive answer need not involve anyone hiding it.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See elusive in use
A satisfying ending remained elusive through several drafts.
An elusive silver token keeps the tabletop puzzle team searching because its location changes whenever a player rotates the outer ring.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license