1. difficult to find, catch, or achieve
2. difficult to remember or understand clearly

Examples

• The criminal remained elusive despite the police manhunt.
• Success in the music industry can be elusive for many talented artists.
• The solution to the puzzle was elusive until she tried a different approach.
• He had an elusive quality that made him hard to describe.
• The elusive butterfly kept escaping from the children’s net.
• Sleep was elusive after drinking too much coffee.
• The meaning of the poem remained elusive to most readers.