Evasive
adjective
Avoiding being direct or answering something clearly, often to hide the truth.
When asked about the company's financial status, he was evasive, changing the subject instead.
Often appears as...
- evasive answer
- evasive action
adjective
Moving in a twisting or slippery way to avoid being caught.
The thief was evasive, slipping through the crowd with agility.
Often appears as...
- evasive maneuvers
- evasive action
adjective
Avoiding being direct or answering something clearly, often to hide the truth.
When asked about the company's financial status, he was evasive, changing the subject instead.
Often appears as...
- evasive answer
- evasive action
adjective
Moving in a twisting or slippery way to avoid being caught.
The thief was evasive, slipping through the crowd with agility.
Often appears as...
- evasive maneuvers
- evasive action
Definition 1 of 2
Pro Tip 1/3Hiding Truth
Used when someone doesn't want to reveal information or be honest.
Even when confronted, he remained evasive about his whereabouts that night.
Pro Tip 2/3Changing Subjects
Often used to subtly avoid answering by shifting the conversation.
She gave an evasive reply, talking about the weather instead of her grades.
Pro Tip 3/3Avoiding Commitment
Can imply reluctance to make a clear decision or statement.
His evasive comments left the team uncertain about the project's future.
Pro Tip 1/3Hiding Truth
Used when someone doesn't want to reveal information or be honest.
Even when confronted, he remained evasive about his whereabouts that night.
Pro Tip 2/3Changing Subjects
Often used to subtly avoid answering by shifting the conversation.
She gave an evasive reply, talking about the weather instead of her grades.
Pro Tip 3/3Avoiding Commitment
Can imply reluctance to make a clear decision or statement.
His evasive comments left the team uncertain about the project's future.
Pro Tip 1/3Hiding Truth
Used when someone doesn't want to reveal information or be honest.
Even when confronted, he remained evasive about his whereabouts that night.
Pro Tip 2/3Changing Subjects
Often used to subtly avoid answering by shifting the conversation.
She gave an evasive reply, talking about the weather instead of her grades.
Pro Tip 3/3Avoiding Commitment
Can imply reluctance to make a clear decision or statement.
His evasive comments left the team uncertain about the project's future.
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Video examples
Catch of the Week -...
boy big boy I'm stressed out man you know the other boats are catching fish we got to start making money big head shakes Oh God right now I'm really worried we're gonna pull the hook the fish is changing directions a lot and that's definitely wearing a hole in his mouth anytime a fish makes a lot of evasive moves
Video examples
Gero Miesenboeck...
depends on its policy, which is stored in the strengths of the connection, between the odor detectors and the motors that power the fly's evasive actions. If the connection is weak, the motors will stay off and the fly will continue straight on its course.
Video examples
How often should you get...
The scientists determine which strains to include in that season's vaccine, picking four for the quadrivalent vaccine in use today. In spite of the flu's evasive maneuvers, in recent years, the group's predictions have been almost always correct.
Video examples
Project Aquatone's U-2...
But they'll still get nothing, other than evasive stuff. RAY If you get up along the Canadian border, the ground controller questioned my altitude. Actually he was pretty accurate. And I said, no, you got to recalibrate your weapon.
Video examples
Harris's Hawks vs....
eight times better than a human's then it's time to invite the relatives over for dinner the first hog spots the quarry a jackrabbit it won't be easy to catch these hares wrote the book on evasive
Video examples
Safari Live - Day 380 PIPE...
hyena I have managed to catch up with them now they've been very evasive and every time I go down to Jane and she's and they come back up every time I come back up and they want to go down but in
Video examples
The Great Flamingo...
they turn right turn right if they flap their wings you flap - that way it only needs one bird to recognize danger and take evasive action and then like a life-preserving Mexican wave the escape
Video examples
Elk Conservation in...
question I was thinking as I said the white-tailed deer the white-tailed deer is present in this landscape and really low numbers they're not necessarily evasive but as the West has been settled
Video examples
Surviving a Hostage...
what if the situation forever normally in a hostage situation the sooner you take evasive action the better your
Video examples
Secret Service Agent...
to high-speed evasive driving the most important rule is to keep moving
Video examples
Catch of the Week -...
boy big boy I'm stressed out man you know the other boats are catching fish we got to start making money big head shakes Oh God right now I'm really worried we're gonna pull the hook the fish is changing directions a lot and that's definitely wearing a hole in his mouth anytime a fish makes a lot of evasive moves
Video examples
Gero Miesenboeck...
depends on its policy, which is stored in the strengths of the connection, between the odor detectors and the motors that power the fly's evasive actions. If the connection is weak, the motors will stay off and the fly will continue straight on its course.
Video examples
How often should you get...
The scientists determine which strains to include in that season's vaccine, picking four for the quadrivalent vaccine in use today. In spite of the flu's evasive maneuvers, in recent years, the group's predictions have been almost always correct.
Video examples
Project Aquatone's U-2...
But they'll still get nothing, other than evasive stuff. RAY If you get up along the Canadian border, the ground controller questioned my altitude. Actually he was pretty accurate. And I said, no, you got to recalibrate your weapon.
Video examples
Harris's Hawks vs....
eight times better than a human's then it's time to invite the relatives over for dinner the first hog spots the quarry a jackrabbit it won't be easy to catch these hares wrote the book on evasive
Video examples
Safari Live - Day 380 PIPE...
hyena I have managed to catch up with them now they've been very evasive and every time I go down to Jane and she's and they come back up every time I come back up and they want to go down but in
Video examples
The Great Flamingo...
they turn right turn right if they flap their wings you flap - that way it only needs one bird to recognize danger and take evasive action and then like a life-preserving Mexican wave the escape
Video examples
Elk Conservation in...
question I was thinking as I said the white-tailed deer the white-tailed deer is present in this landscape and really low numbers they're not necessarily evasive but as the West has been settled
Video examples
Surviving a Hostage...
what if the situation forever normally in a hostage situation the sooner you take evasive action the better your
Video examples
Secret Service Agent...
to high-speed evasive driving the most important rule is to keep moving
Example 1 of 10
Quote examples
John Logan
American Producer
Honestly, not being evasive, but the great thing about Bond is that I have fifty years of movies - 23 movies and all the Ian Fleming novels and short stories, all of which are fodder. And when I'm working on the new Bond, I'm constantly going back to Fleming and the other movies - what are the bits and pieces, what are the resonances?
Quote examples
Ingmar Bergman
Swedish Director
People ask what are my intentions with my films - my aims. It is a difficult and dangerous question, and I usually give an evasive answer: I try to tell the truth about the human condition, the truth as I see it. This answer seems to satisfy everyone, but it is not quite correct.
Quote examples
John Anderson
Australian Politician
I'm not being evasive but I am saying I'm not a scientist and I'm not directly involved in the consultation however the science must be sound, it must be agreed and the consultation must be of a high quality or no one will have any confidence in the process.
Quote examples
Bo Bice
American Musician
I'm not trying to be evasive, but when I say yes and no, I say 'yes' because there are narrow-minded people that won't look past the logo and 'no' because 'American Idol' put me in front of millions of people and I would not have a career without 'Idol.
Quote examples
Charles Horton Cooley
American Sociologist
We are ashamed to seem evasive in the presence of a straightforward man, cowardly in the presence of a brave one, gross in the eyes of a refined one, and so on. We always imagine, and in imagining share, the judgments of the other mind.
Quote examples
Lynn Coady
Canadian Novelist
Occasionally, chewing over some random letter writer's dilemma, I'll find myself imagining scenarios where the problem could be sidestepped by an innocent fib or series of evasive manoeuvres. Then, I slap myself on the wrist.
Quote examples
KT Tunstall
Scottish Musician
I've always tried to avoid music being direct therapy, and I've always found there's a power when you write something that can have its own interpretation - although I'm not being intentionally evasive.
Quote examples
Harold Brodkey
American Author
Memory, so complete and clear or so evasive, has to be ended, has to be put aside, as if one were leaving a chapel and bringing the prayer to an end in one's head.
Quote examples
Priyanka Chopra
Indian Actress
People keep speculating about my personal life because I am evasive about it.
Quote examples
Margaret Thatcher
English Leader
You don't tell deliberate lies, but sometimes you have to be evasive.
Quote examples
John Logan
American Producer
Honestly, not being evasive, but the great thing about Bond is that I have fifty years of movies - 23 movies and all the Ian Fleming novels and short stories, all of which are fodder. And when I'm working on the new Bond, I'm constantly going back to Fleming and the other movies - what are the bits and pieces, what are the resonances?
Quote examples
Ingmar Bergman
Swedish Director
People ask what are my intentions with my films - my aims. It is a difficult and dangerous question, and I usually give an evasive answer: I try to tell the truth about the human condition, the truth as I see it. This answer seems to satisfy everyone, but it is not quite correct.
Quote examples
John Anderson
Australian Politician
I'm not being evasive but I am saying I'm not a scientist and I'm not directly involved in the consultation however the science must be sound, it must be agreed and the consultation must be of a high quality or no one will have any confidence in the process.
Quote examples
Bo Bice
American Musician
I'm not trying to be evasive, but when I say yes and no, I say 'yes' because there are narrow-minded people that won't look past the logo and 'no' because 'American Idol' put me in front of millions of people and I would not have a career without 'Idol.
Quote examples
Charles Horton Cooley
American Sociologist
We are ashamed to seem evasive in the presence of a straightforward man, cowardly in the presence of a brave one, gross in the eyes of a refined one, and so on. We always imagine, and in imagining share, the judgments of the other mind.
Quote examples
Lynn Coady
Canadian Novelist
Occasionally, chewing over some random letter writer's dilemma, I'll find myself imagining scenarios where the problem could be sidestepped by an innocent fib or series of evasive manoeuvres. Then, I slap myself on the wrist.
Quote examples
KT Tunstall
Scottish Musician
I've always tried to avoid music being direct therapy, and I've always found there's a power when you write something that can have its own interpretation - although I'm not being intentionally evasive.
Quote examples
Harold Brodkey
American Author
Memory, so complete and clear or so evasive, has to be ended, has to be put aside, as if one were leaving a chapel and bringing the prayer to an end in one's head.
Quote examples
Priyanka Chopra
Indian Actress
People keep speculating about my personal life because I am evasive about it.
Quote examples
Margaret Thatcher
English Leader
You don't tell deliberate lies, but sometimes you have to be evasive.
Example 1 of 10
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