elusive

CEFRC1

/ɪˈl(j)uː.sɪv/

adjective

Türkçe translations

Translating…

In plain English

  1. 01

    adjective

    Difficult to find, catch, achieve, or understand.

  2. 02

    adjective

    Extra detail

    Difficult to make precise.

Examples

  • And the truth is elusive because it knows where to hide.

  • Tom is very elusive.

At a glance

Sits at C1 on the CEFR scale

Senses
4
Parts of speech
1
Citations
4
Synonyms
1

Also pronounced

  • /iˈl(j)uː.sɪv/
  • /iˈl(j)uː.zɪv/

Deep Dive

adjective

Extra meanings

  1. Rarely seen.

  2. Evading capture, comprehension or remembrance.

More examples

In context

  • The elusive criminal was arrested

  • A precise definition of diarrhea is elusive

  • The temporary elusive goal / To reach the solace, to feed once more upon the synthetic reaper of loss / No matter the outcome, the cost

Synonyms

Quick test

Two questions on this entry. Nothing is scored.

Question 1 · Quick check

The blank butterfly flitted away just as the photographer approached.

Practise this properly in the app, where the word comes back before you forget it.

Nearby

Origin

adjective

From Latin elusus, past participle of eludo (“to parry a blow, to deceive”).