elusive meaning and definition

ELUSIVE adjective

Definition of elusive (adjective)

1. difficult to describe
   • "a haunting elusive odor"
2. skillful at eluding capture
   • "a cabal of conspirators, each more elusive than the archterrorist"- David Kline
3. difficult to detect or grasp by the mind or analyze
   • "his whole attitude had undergone a subtle change"; "a subtle difference"; "that elusive thing the soul"
   • synonyms: subtle
4. making great mental demands; hard to comprehend or solve or believe
   • "a baffling problem"; "I faced the knotty problem of what to have for breakfast"; "a problematic situation at home"
   • synonyms: baffling, knotty, problematic, problematical, tough