Word Pronunciation & Dictionary

elusive

/ɪˈl(j)u.sɪv/

Word Rarity Rare

Frequency: 3.47 in modern English

Syllables: elu-sive
IPA: /ɪˈl(j)u.sɪv/

10

Scrabble Score

7

Letters

3

Syllables

6

Unique Chars

Meaning

adj

Evading capture, comprehension or remembrance.

adj

Difficult to make precise.

adj

Example Sentences

"The elusive criminal was arrested"
"The temporary elusive goal / To reach the solace, to feed once more upon the synthetic reaper of loss / No matter the outcome, the cost"
"A precise definition of diarrhea is elusive"
"Charley chased the elusive idea through all the nooks and crannies of his drowning consciousness."
"While you're sniffing the trunks of the ponderosas to see if they're butterscotch, vanilla, strawberry, or the elusive chocolate variety, watch for Brown Creepers, an elusive variety of bird."

Etymology

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

Regional Pronunciation

American English: /ɪˈl(j)u.sɪv/
British English: /ɪˈl(j)uː.sɪv/

Inflected Forms

more elusive (comparative) most elusive (superlative)

Derived Forms

elusively elusiveness unelusive

Frequently Paired Words

elude

Synonyms

elusory baffling knotty problematic problematical tough subtle

Homonyms

illusive

Rhymes With

exclusive inclusive abusive intrusive conclusive conducive inconclusive reclusive unobtrusive obtrusive illusive allusive

Questions

How do you pronounce elusive?: The recorded pronunciation is /ɪˈl(j)u.sɪv/.
What does elusive mean?: Evading capture, comprehension or remembrance.
Where does elusive come from?: From Latin elusus, past participle of eludo (“to parry a blow, to deceive”).

How to pronounce elusive

Open the pronunciation page — Open the Speakur entry for “elusive”.
Read the phonetic spelling — Read the IPA spelling (/ɪˈl(j)u.sɪv/) so you know which sounds to aim for.
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