Elude: meaning, pronunciation and examples
Elude verb. To escape or avoid someone or something, often by being clever or quick.
How to say it
ih-LOOD/ɪˈluːd/
2 syllables, stressed on the second (LOOD). Forms: eluded, eludes.
Meanings
- To escape or avoid someone or something, often by being clever or quick.
- To fail to be understood or remembered by someone.
Elude in a sentence
The fox eluded the hounds by doubling back through the stream.
Her name eludes me, though I know her face.
Similar and opposite
Similar:
- evade
- escape
- dodge
- avoid
Opposite:
- catch
Usage note
Elude means escape, or slip your mind; allude means mention indirectly. 'Success eluded him' but 'he alluded to his failures'.
Don’t confuse with allude
allude (verb): To mention something indirectly, without naming it outright.
Where elude comes from
From Latin eludere, to win from someone at play, to cheat.
Test yourself
Which word fills the gap?
Her name _____ me, though I know her face.
- depreciate
- apprise
- elude
Show the answer
elude: Her name eludes me, though I know her face.