evasive
/i'veisiv/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Avoiding capture or confrontation: Intentionally acting to escape from something difficult, dangerous, or unwanted, such as enemy fire or a direct question.
- Deliberately unclear or ambiguous: Using language that is vague or indirect to avoid giving a clear, direct, or honest answer.
Usage and Examples
- General Use:
- The politician gave an evasive answer to the journalist's question about the scandal.
- The rabbit used evasive maneuvers to escape the fox.
- In Specific Contexts:
- Military/Physical Avoidance: "The pilot took evasive action to avoid the missile."
- Verbal Avoidance: "When asked about his future plans, he was evasive and changed the subject."
Advanced Usage
- "To be evasive": Describes a person's characteristic behavior of avoiding directness.
- The witness was being evasive, which made the lawyer suspicious.
- "Evasive action": A specific maneuver to avoid a threat.
- The driver had to take evasive action to prevent a collision.
Variants and Related Words
- Evasively (adverb): In an evasive manner.
- He answered evasively.
- Evasiveness (noun): The quality of being evasive.
- Her evasiveness only increased our doubts.
Synonyms
- Elusive: Difficult to find, catch, or achieve. (Focuses more on being hard to pin down.)
- Noncommittal: Not expressing a clear opinion or commitment.
- Equivocal: Ambiguous or open to more than one interpretation.
Antonyms
- Direct: Straightforward and clear.
- Forthright: Direct and outspoken.
- Frank: Open, honest, and direct in speech or writing.
Related Phrases and Idioms
- To dodge the question: To avoid answering a question directly. (This is a common phrase describing evasive verbal behavior.)
- Instead of admitting fault, he kept dodging the question.
Adjective
- avoiding or escaping from difficulty or danger especially enemy fire
- pilots are taught to take evasive action
- deliberately vague or ambiguous
- his answers were brief, constrained and evasive
- an evasive statement