elude

[ ih-lood ]
See synonyms for: eludeeludedeluding on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),e·lud·ed, e·lud·ing.
  1. to avoid or escape by speed, cleverness, trickery, etc.; evade: to elude capture.

  2. to escape the understanding, perception, or appreciation of: The answer eludes me.

Origin of elude

1
First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin ēlūdere “to deceive, evade,” equivalent to ē- “from, out of” + lūdere “to play, deceive”; see e-1

synonym study For elude

1. See escape.

Other words for elude

Other words from elude

  • e·lud·er, noun

Words that may be confused with elude

Words Nearby elude

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use elude in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for elude

elude

/ (ɪˈluːd) /


verb(tr)
  1. to escape or avoid (capture, one's pursuers, etc), esp by cunning

  2. to avoid fulfilment of (a responsibility, obligation, etc); evade

  1. to escape discovery, or understanding by; baffle: the solution eluded her

Origin of elude

1
C16: from Latin ēlūdere to deceive, from lūdere to play

usage For elude

Elude is sometimes wrongly used where allude is meant: he was alluding (not eluding ) to his previous visit to the city

Derived forms of elude

  • eluder, noun
  • elusion (ɪˈluːʒən), noun

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