adj. avoiding the issue; not straightforward: "an evasive statement"

adj. avoiding or escaping from difficulty or danger especially enemy fire; "pilots are taught to take evasive action"

adj. deliberately vague or ambiguous; "his answers were brief, constrained and evasive"; "an evasive statement"

adj. resembling an oracle in obscurity of thought; "the oracular sayings of Victorian poets"; "so enigmatic that priests might have to clarify it"; "an enigmatic smile"

adj. difficult to describe; "a haunting elusive odor"

adj. indicated by necessary connotation though not expressed directly; "gave silent consent"; "a tacit agreement"; "the understood provisos of a custody agreement"

adj. poorly articulated or enunciated, or drowned by noise; "unintelligible speech"

adj. characterized by indirect references; "allusive speech is characterized by allusions"

adj. roundabout or ambiguous; "attacks from that source amounted to a backhanded compliment to his integrity"; "a backhanded and dishonest way of reaching his goal"

adj. roundabout and unnecessarily wordy; "had a preference for circumlocutious (or circumlocutory) rather than forthright expression"; "A periphrastic study in a worn-out poetical fashion,/ Leaving one still with the intolerable wrestle/ With words and meanings."-T.S.Eliot; (`ambagious' is archaic)

adj. not straightforward; "his tortuous reasoning"

adj. (of e.g. speech and writing) tending to depart from the main point or cover a wide range of subjects; "amusingly digressive with satirical thrusts at women's fashions among other things"; "a rambling discursive book"; "his excursive remarks"; "a rambling speech about this and that"

adj. heard through another rather than directly; "hearsay information"

adj. hesitant to state facts or opinions simply and directly as from e.g. timidity or hypocrisy; "a mealymouthed politician"

adj. (used of e.g. coatings) protecting against accumulation of barnacles etc on underwater surfaces; "antifouling paint"; "antifouling chemicals"

adj. tending to ward off; "the swastika...a very ancient prophylactic symbol occurring among all peoples"- Victor Schultze

adj. saving from harm or loss; "serves a conserving function"

adj. capable of preventing conception or impregnation; "contraceptive devices and medications"

adj. "provided covering fire for the platoon that was moving up"

adj. providing protective supervision; watching over or safeguarding; "daycare that is educational and not just custodial"; "a guardian angel"; "tutelary gods"

adj. providing protective supervision; watching over or safeguarding; "daycare that is educational and not just custodial"; "a guardian angel"; "tutelary gods"

adj. overly protective; "overprotective parents"

adj. tending or having the power to preserve; "the timbers should be treated with a preservative"

adj. (of tariff) protective of national interests by restricting imports

adj. providing or ensuring safety

adj. subject to question; "questionable motives"; "a questionable reputation"; "a fire of questionable origin"

adj. having two meanings with intent to deceive; "a sly double meaning"; "spoke with forked tongue"

adj. not clear to the mind; "the law itself was unclear on that point"; "the reason for their actions is unclear to this day"

adj. extended senses; direct in means or manner or behavior or language or action; "a direct question"; "a direct response"; "a direct approach"

adj. characterized by directness in manner or speech; without subtlety or evasion; "blunt talking and straight shooting"; "a blunt New England farmer"; "I gave them my candid opinion"; "forthright criticism"; "a forthright approach to the problem"; "tell me what you think--and you may just as well be frank"; "it is possible to be outspoken without being rude"; "plainspoken and to the point"; "a point-blank accusation"

adj. open and genuine; not deceitful; "he was a good man, decent and sincere"; "felt sincere regret that they were leaving"; "sincere friendship"