Words / C1

i-LOOS-iv/ɪˈluːsɪv/

Elusive means hard to find, catch, or pin down in words: an elusive definition, an elusive suspect. Hard to pin down is the everyday paraphrase; slippery is informal. Elude is the verb (the name eluded me). In academic writing, a simple account of X remains elusive is a common modest claim. In speech, I cannot quite catch it is enough.

Meaning

Difficult to find, catch, or describe exactly.

Examples

• “A simple definition of fluency is elusive.”
• “A stable Wi-Fi signal was elusive in that corner of the hall.”
• “The author remains elusive: few interviews, no memoir.”

Good to know

Hard to catch or define. Verb: elude. Everyday: hard to pin down. Not the same as exclusive (select).

Near in meaning

slippery

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