The meaning of ELUSIVE is tending to elude. How to use elusive in a sentence.

ELUSIVE definition: eluding or failing to allow for or accommodate a clear perception or complete mental grasp; hard to express or define. See examples of elusive used in a sentence.

ELUSIVE definition: 1. difficult to describe, find, achieve, or remember: 2. difficult to describe, find, achieve, or…. Learn more.

Definition of elusive adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

Something or someone that is elusive is difficult to find, describe, remember, or achieve. Here late-night taxis are elusive and far from cheap.

Difficult to define or describe: "Failures are more finely etched in our minds than triumphs, and success is an elusive, if not mythic, goal in our demanding society" (Hugh Drummond).

elusive meaning, definition, what is elusive: an elusive person or animal is difficult...: Learn more.

e•lu•sive /ɪˈlusɪv/ also e•lu•so•ry /ɪˈlusəri/ adj. eluding one's understanding; hard to express or define: elusive concepts in that poetry. skillful at keeping away from, escaping from, or …

There are four meanings listed in OED's entry for the adjective elusive, one of which is labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

Dec 25, 2025 · From Latin elusus, past participle of eludo (“to parry a blow, to deceive”). elusive (comparative more elusive, superlative most elusive) Charley chased the elusive idea through …