evasive

Everyday

1. If someone is evasive, they avoid giving a clear, direct answer, often because they are hiding something. tree →
2. Evasive action is a quick movement to avoid danger, such as swerving or ducking. tree →

In the lessons

In stories and the news, an evasive answer is a clue that a character or politician may be hiding the truth. In safety talk, a driver or pilot «takes evasive action» to avoid a crash. In nature, animals use evasive moves to escape predators. Phrases: «an evasive answer», «be evasive about», «take evasive action».

Examples

• When I asked who ate the cake, my brother was very evasive. tree →
• The minister gave an evasive answer to the question. tree →
• The pilot took evasive action to avoid the birds. tree →
• The rabbit made evasive zigzags to escape the fox. tree →
• Stop being evasive and tell me what happened! tree →
• Her evasive reply made the detective suspicious. tree →

Note

Verb: evade (to avoid); noun: evasion. Adverb: evasively. Trap: «tax evasion» (illegal, hiding money) is different from «tax avoidance» (using legal tricks).