expression, i-adjective
vague; elusive; hard to pin down
Describes a person, statement, or concept that is difficult to grasp or define clearly; often used for someone's character or an abstract idea that feels slippery or ambiguous.
彼の言っていることはつかみ所がなくて、よくわからない。
What he says is vague and hard to understand.
あの人はつかみ所がない性格だ。
That person has an elusive personality.
漠然 is a more formal, static adjective meaning 'vague' or 'obscure', while つかみ所がない is an idiomatic expression emphasizing the difficulty of grasping something concretely.
あいまい means 'ambiguous' and often refers to unclear boundaries or meanings, whereas つかみ所がない suggests something is inherently elusive or hard to get a hold of.
From つかみ (noun form of 掴む 'to grasp') + 所 (ところ 'place') + がない ('there is no'), literally 'there is no place to grasp'. The expression figuratively means something is intangible or elusive.