The meaning of Evasive

adjective

Open to more than one interpretation; not having one obvious meaning.

Usage examples:

Ambiguous phrases

adjective

Having a meaning that is mysterious or obscure.

Usage examples:

He found his boss's utterances too cryptic

adjective

Mysterious and difficult to understand

Usage examples:

A cryptic message/remark

adjective

Difficult to find, catch, or achieve.

Usage examples:

Success will become ever more elusive

adjective

Difficult to describe, find, achieve, or remember

Usage examples:

The answers to these questions remain as elusive as ever., success, however, remained elusive for h…

adjective

Difficult to interpret or understand; mysterious.

Usage examples:

He took the money with an enigmatic smile

adjective

Mysterious and impossible to understand completely

Usage examples:

The mona lisa has a famously enigmatic smile., he left an enigmatic message on my answering machine.

adjective

Open to more than one interpretation; ambiguous.

Usage examples:

The equivocal nature of her remarks

adjective

(of statements) unclear and seeming to have two opposing meanings, or (of actions or ways of behaving) confusing and able to be understood in two different ways

Usage examples:

She gave an equivocal response.

verb

Use ambiguous language so as to conceal the truth or avoid committing oneself.

Usage examples:

The government have equivocated too often in the past

verb

Present participle of equivocate

Usage examples:

She accused the minister of equivocating, claiming that he had deliberately avoided telling the pub…

adjective

Lacking exactness and accuracy of expression or detail.

Usage examples:

The witness could give only vague and imprecise descriptions

adjective

Not accurate or exact

Usage examples:

As all the data have not yet been collected, the figures are still imprecise.

adjective

Lasting for an unknown or unstated length of time.

Usage examples:

They may face indefinite detention

adjective

Not exact or not clear; without clear limits

Usage examples:

It was a wonderful opportunity, but it meant leaving family and friends for an indefinite period, p…

adjective

Not exactly known, established, or defined.

Usage examples:

The carpet is an indeterminate dull shade

adjective

Not clearly determined or established

Usage examples:

Juvenile criminals are sometimes sentenced to indeterminate prison terms rather than a fixed length…

adjective

Not clear or sharply defined.

Usage examples:

His speech was slurred and indistinct

adjective

Not clear

Usage examples:

An indistinct shape/sound/recollection

adjective

Not quite accurate or correct.

Usage examples:

An inexact description

adjective

Not known in detail or not completely accurate

Usage examples:

Economics is an inexact science.

adjective

Not definitely or clearly expressed or explained.

Usage examples:

Inexplicit declarations

adjective

Not discovered or known about; uncertain.

Usage examples:

His origins and parentage are obscure

verb

Keep from being seen; conceal.

Usage examples:

Grey clouds obscure the sun

adjective

Not known to many people

Usage examples:

An obscure 18th-century painter, official policy has changed for reasons that remain obscure.

verb

Speak or act in an evasive way.

Usage examples:

He seemed to prevaricate when journalists asked pointed questions

verb

Present participle of prevaricate

Usage examples:

He accused the minister of prevaricating.

adjective

Causing one to be puzzled; perplexing.

Usage examples:

Only one very puzzling question remains unanswered

verb

Cause (someone) to feel confused because they cannot understand something.

Usage examples:

She was puzzled by the doctor's manner

adjective

Difficult to explain or understand

Usage examples:

It's a rather puzzling film., a puzzling situation

adjective

Not easy to see, hear, or understand.

Usage examples:

The motive for this killing is unclear

adjective

Not obvious or easy to see or know

Usage examples:

[ + question word ] it’s unclear what actually happened that night., i’m unclear about a couple of …

adjective

Of uncertain, indefinite, or unclear character or meaning.

Usage examples:

Many patients suffer vague symptoms

adjective

Not clearly stated, described, or explained, or not clearly seen or felt

Usage examples:

She had a vague feeling that something had gone terribly wrong., i have only a vague memory of the …