Need another word that means the same as “elusive”? Find 9 synonyms and 30 related words for “elusive” in this overview.
The synonyms of “Elusive” are: baffling, knotty, problematic, problematical, tough, subtle, difficult to catch, difficult to find, difficult to track down
According to the Oxford Dictionary of English, “elusive” as an adjective can have the following definitions:
baffling | Impossible to understand; perplexing. A baffling problem. |
difficult to catch | Hard to control. |
difficult to find | Hard to control. |
difficult to track down | Hard to control. |
knotty | Extremely difficult or complex. A knotty problem. |
problematic | Open to doubt or debate. If you ever get married which seems to be extremely problematic. |
problematical | Making great mental demands; hard to comprehend or solve or believe. The weighting of votes was particularly problematical. |
subtle | Difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze. The German plan was simple yet subtle. |
tough | Physically toughened. A tough character. |
abstruse | Difficult to penetrate; incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge. An abstruse philosophical inquiry. |
allusion | The practice of making allusions. An allusion to Shakespeare. |
artful | Not straightforward or candid; giving a false appearance of frankness- David Cannadine. The artful dodger. |
complexity | A factor involved in a complicated process or situation. He enjoyed the complexity of modern computers. |
covert | A flock of coots. Covert actions by the CIA. |
crafty | Involving the making of decorative objects and other things by hand. A crafty crook faked an injury to escape from prison. |
cunning | Marked by skill in deception. Plants have evolved cunning defences. |
difficult | Not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure. She had a difficult decision to make. |
esoteric | Intended for or likely to be understood by only a small number of people with a specialized knowledge or interest. Esoteric philosophical debates. |
esoterica | Esoteric or highly specialized subjects or publications. A professor of such esoterica as angelology and comparative shamanism. |
furtive | Secret and sly or sordid- A.L.Guerard. Furtive behavior. |
guile | Sly or cunning intelligence. He used all his guile and guts to free himself from the muddle he was in. |
impalpable | Incapable of being perceived by the senses especially the sense of touch- James Jeans. An impalpable pulse. |
ingenious | Showing inventiveness and skill. His theory while ingenious is most assuredly incorrect. |
innuendo | An indirect (and usually malicious) implication. She s always making sly innuendoes. |
insidious | Proceeding in a gradual, subtle way, but with very harmful effects. Glaucoma is an insidious disease. |
intangible | An intangible thing. An intangible feeling of impending disaster. |
manipulative | Exercising unscrupulous control or influence over a person or situation. The early manipulative techniques of a three year old child. |
nuance | Give nuances to. Without understanding the finer nuances you can t enjoy the humor. |
obscure | Make obscure or unclear. The distinction was obscured. |
recondite | Difficult to penetrate; incomprehensible to one of ordinary understanding or knowledge. The book is full of recondite information. |
secretive | (of a state or activity) characterized by the concealment of intentions and information. She was very secretive about her past. |
sly | Showing in an insinuating way that one has some secret knowledge that may be harmful or embarrassing. A sly sip of water. |
subtle | Crafty; cunning. The subtle fiend dissembled. |
subtlety | A subtle distinction, feature, or argument. You had to admire the subtlety of the distinctions he drew. |
tricky | Marked by skill in deception. I wouldn t trust her she s tricky. |
undercurrent | A current below the surface of a fluid. Racial undercurrents. |
undertone | A subdued or muted tone of sound or colour. Spoke in undertones. |
vague | Lacking clarity or distinctness. Vague feelings of sadness. |
wily | Skilled at gaining an advantage, especially deceitfully. A wily old attorney. |
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