Evasive
adjective
Definition
1. Answering questions in a way that is not direct or clear.
2. Intended to avoid something bad.
2. Intended to avoid something bad.
Context Alive
When the journalist asked about his company’s financial problems, the CEO became strangely evasive, looking away and giving vague answers that explained nothing. Every follow-up question received the same treatment—more unclear responses and obvious attempts to change the subject. By the end of the interview, viewers knew something was definitely being hidden.
Meanings
2 meanings 1 Answering Questions in a Way That Is Not Direct or Clear (Adjective) — VERY COMMON Common ▼
This meaning is about avoiding giving straight or honest answers. Imagine asking your teenager where they were last night and getting evasive responses like “around” or “with friends,” making you suspect they’re hiding something. This is being evasive. You might notice a politician being evasive during an interview, or a coworker could give evasive answers about their weekend plans. Or picture a witness who becomes evasive when detectives ask specific questions. The word suggests deliberate avoidance of the truth.
Vivid ExampleWhenever Sarah asked her boyfriend about his ex-girlfriend, he became noticeably evasive, changing the subject or giving half-answers that only made her more suspicious about what he was hiding.
2 Intended to Avoid Something Bad (Adjective) — COMMON Common ▼
This meaning is about actions taken to escape danger or prevent accidents. Think about a pilot who had to take evasive action when another aircraft appeared suddenly, turning sharply to avoid a mid-air collision. This is evasive action. You might take evasive action while driving to avoid hitting a deer, or a soccer player could make evasive moves to escape defenders. Or picture a ship captain ordering evasive maneuvers when an iceberg appears ahead. The word suggests quick movements to escape danger.
Vivid ExampleThe driver spotted the child running into the street and immediately took evasive action, swerving hard to the left and narrowly missing her by just a few centimeters.
Examples from the Street
“Why are you being so evasive? Just answer the question!”
Why won’t you give me a straight answer? Just tell me directly!
“The politician gave an evasive response and didn’t really address the issue.”
The elected official avoided answering properly and didn’t actually deal with the matter
“The driver took evasive action to avoid hitting the deer.”
The person behind the wheel swerved quickly to prevent striking the animal
Common Patterns
be/become evasive → avoid giving direct or honest answers
evasive answer/response/reply → a response that avoids the real question
evasive about (something) → unwilling to discuss a particular topic directly
deliberately/intentionally evasive → purposefully avoiding answering
sound/seem evasive → appear to be avoiding the truth
evasive behaviour/manner → acting in a way that avoids confrontation or truth
evasive look/glance → avoiding eye contact; looking away
evasive tactics → methods used to avoid something or someone
vague and evasive → common pairing for unclear, indirect communication
take evasive action → move quickly to avoid collision or danger
evasive manoeuvre → a movement made to avoid something
evasive driving → techniques for avoiding hazards or pursuers
Collocations
3 collocationsevasive answer
a reply that avoids the real question
evasive action
movement to avoid something dangerous
deliberately evasive
intentionally avoiding directness
Example Sentences
12 examples
1
Whenever I ask him about his past, he becomes strangely evasive
Every time I question him about his history, he starts avoiding giving direct answers in an odd way.
2
The minister gave an evasive answer when asked about the budget cuts
The government official avoided responding directly when questioned about the spending reductions.
3
Stop being so evasive and just tell me what happened
Quit avoiding the question and simply explain what occurred.
4
She was evasive about where she’d been the night before
She wouldn’t give a straight answer regarding her whereabouts the previous evening.
5
The pilot had to take evasive action to avoid a collision with another aircraft
The person flying the plane had to manoeuvre quickly to prevent crashing into another vehicle in the sky.
6
His evasive behaviour made the detectives even more suspicious
The way he avoided answering directly made the investigators even more doubtful of his innocence.
7
The company’s spokesperson was deliberately evasive when questioned about the layoffs
The business representative purposefully avoided giving clear information when asked about job losses.
8
She gave me an evasive look and quickly changed the subject
She glanced away avoiding my eyes and rapidly started talking about something else.
9
The driver took evasive manoeuvres to avoid the pothole in the road
The person behind the wheel swerved to miss the hole in the street surface.
10
His answers were so vague and evasive that we learned nothing from the interview
His responses were so unclear and indirect that we gained no useful information from the conversation.
Learner Examples
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Students sometimes become evasive when asked why they haven’t completed their homework — they’ll give vague excuses instead of honest explanations
Learners occasionally start avoiding direct answers when questioned about unfinished assignments — they’ll offer unclear reasons rather than truthful accounts.
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If a language learner is evasive about speaking in class, it usually means they’re afraid of making mistakes in front of others
If someone studying a tongue avoids participating in lessons, it typically indicates they’re scared of getting things wrong while their classmates are watching.
Phrasal Verbs & Idioms
1 items Idioms & Expressionstake evasive action — act to avoid danger or trouble
The driver took evasive action to avoid hitting the dog.
Synonyms & Antonyms
7 items
Synonymsvague
not giving clear answers
elusive
hard to pin down
cagey
informal — reluctant to give information
indirect
not answering directly
Antonymsdirect
giving straight answers
frank
being open and honest
forthcoming
willing to share information