Definitions Related words Phrases Mentions Lyrics History Colors (New!)

Literary notes about evasive (AI summary)

In literature, the word "evasive" is often employed to convey a sense of deliberate ambiguity or a reluctance to commit, whether in dialogue or descriptive passages. Authors use it to illustrate characters who dodge direct answers or whose physical demeanor—such as shifting or searching eyes—betrays an inner reservation, as seen when a character answers with evasive eyes [1] or when their gaze is described as shifting and evasive [2]. It also appears in the portrayal of verbal exchanges where the reply skirts around the truth without offering clarity, reflecting complex motivations and subtle deceptions [3, 4, 5]. Moreover, the term enriches narratives by imbuing characters and situations with a mysterious or guarded quality that invites readers to look beneath the surface, enhancing the thematic depth of the work [6, 7, 8].
  1. "I dare not doubt it," she answered, with evasive eyes.
    — from The Tyranny of the Dark by Hamlin Garland
  2. His ears were large and stood out bat-wise from his head; and his eyes gleamed with a smart, evasive light.
    — from The Titan by Theodore Dreiser
  3. "Dinner is at eight," was Scrap's evasive answer as she went upstairs.
    — from The Enchanted April by Elizabeth Von Arnim
  4. a very decided negative, now either parried the inquiry with the evasive reply, ‘Oh!
    — from American Notes by Charles Dickens
  5. I made him some evasive answer, which only had the effect of increasing his violence.
    — from Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup
  6. (Progress of the idea: it becomes more subtle, more insidious, more evasive,—It becomes a woman, it becomes Christian.)
    — from The Twilight of the Idols; or, How to Philosophize with the Hammer. The Antichrist by Nietzsche
  7. Jude was quite content with a baffle from his ever evasive companion.
    — from Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy
  8. Then the Ambassador questioned him upon the latest phase of his inquiry, but to all questions he was discreetly evasive—even to his own Chief.
    — from Her Royal Highness: A Romance of the Chancelleries of Europe by William Le Queux

More usage examples

Also see: Google, News, Images, Wikipedia, Reddit, BlueSky


Home   Reverse Dictionary / Thesaurus   Datamuse   Word games   Spruce   Feedback   Dark mode   Random word   Help


Color thesaurus

Use OneLook to find colors for words and words for colors

See an example

Literary notes

Use OneLook to learn how words are used by great writers

See an example

Word games

Try our innovative vocabulary games

Play Now

Read the latest OneLook newsletter issue: Threepeat Redux