Elusive
/ɪˈluː.sɪv/noun
Hard to find, catch, or achieve.
Did you know?Elusive comes from Latin eludere, originally meaning “to evade by playing,” so the word’s hidden energy is less “mystical disappearance” and more “a clever trickster slipping past your grasp.”
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
eludere
“to evade, mock, or escape by playing”
Late Latin
Latin
elusivus
“apt to elude or deceive”
Middle French
French
elusif
“deceptive, evading”
Late 16th Century
English
elusive
“tending to evade or escape notice”
Modern English
English
elusive
“hard to find, catch, or define”