allude

American  

[uh-lood] / əˈlud /

verb (used without object)

alluded, alluding

1. to refer casually or indirectly; make an allusion (usually followed byto ).

   He often alluded to his poverty.

2. to contain a casual or indirect reference (usually followed byto ).

   The letter alludes to something now forgotten.

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allude British  

/ əˈluːd /

verb

1. to refer indirectly, briefly, or implicitly

2. (loosely) to mention

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Commonly Confused

See elude

Other Word Forms

• preallude verb (used without object)

Etymology

Origin of allude

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin allūdere “to play beside, make a playful allusion to,” equivalent to al- al- + lūdere “to play”

Explanation

When you allude to something, you don't identify it or mention it specifically. If you allude to the fact that a cop is sitting right behind you, your friends might stop talking about their plans to rob a bank. Allude is from Latin allūdere "to play with, joke" from the prefix ad- "toward" plus lūdere "to play." The corresponding noun is allusion, which is often used of an indirect reference in literature: Helen, a fitting name for a woman of great beauty, is an allusion to Helen of Troy.

Example Sentences

Although that project was scrapped, Variety magazine said the second season of The Studio will allude to the attempts to bring Madonna's story to the big screen.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

The show is, in fact, billed as being only "mostly" based on real events, and the writer and cast allude to a "twist".

From BBC • Feb. 16, 2026

A Dec. 10, 2024, post on Instagram Threads appears to allude to issues Quin faced in California.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 12, 2025

Both allude to an Aztec myth and appear in the Mexican flag.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 8, 2025

If a divorced lady were present in the company of her second husband, it is often thought desirable not to allude to the original marriage at all.

From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro