elusiveness
とらえどころのないこと
解説 Definition
容易には把握や理解ができない状態。つかみどところがなく、曖昧で定義しづらい特性のこと。
Elusiveness is the quality of being hard to catch, find, define, or understand. It can refer to something physical, like a person who avoids capture, or something abstract, like an idea or feeling that is difficult to explain. The word often suggests that repeated effort still does not bring a clear result.
覚え方のコツ Memory Tip
まず elusive を核に覚え、語尾 -ness を見たら「性質・状態」と取ると、elusiveness はそのまま「elusiveであること」。ポイントは「見えない」ではなく「つかもうとしても定まらない」感じです。an elusive answer, the elusiveness of truth のように、答え・真実・定義など“はっきり固定しにくいもの”と結び付けると残ります。clear / concrete の反対側に置くと整理しやすく、illusion と形が少し似ていても別語だと切り分けるのがコツです。
Start from `elusive`, then add `-ness`, which turns a quality into a noun. So `elusiveness` is the quality of being hard to catch or pin down. It often goes with things like truth, meaning, or an answer that never becomes clear.
例文
The elusiveness of success frustrated him.
成功のとらえどころのなさは彼を苛立たせた。
Her elusiveness made her a mysterious figure.
彼女のとらえどころのなさが彼女を謎めいた人物にした。
The elusiveness of truth is philosophical.
真実のとらえどころのなさは哲学的である。
elusiveness の類義語・関連語
elusiveness の語源・成り立ち Etymology
elusiveness は elusive「逃れやすい」+ -ness「性質」です。elusive はラテン語 e/ex-「外へ」+ ludere「遊ぶ」から来た eludere「うまくかわす」を経ており、「つかもうとしてもひらりとかわす性質」だと分かると意味が見えます。allude や prelude も同根です。
Elusiveness is formed from elusive plus the noun suffix -ness. Elusive comes from Latin eludere, made from e- or ex- meaning "out" and ludere meaning "to play," with the sense of slipping away or outplaying someone. That is why the word suggests something that escapes when you try to grasp it; related words from the same root include allude and prelude.
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