elude
Americanverb (used with object)
-
eludes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
eluded,
past participle, past
-
eluding
present participle
verb
-
to escape or avoid (capture, one's pursuers, etc), esp by cunning
-
to avoid fulfilment of (a responsibility, obligation, etc); evade
-
to escape discovery, or understanding by; baffle
the solution eluded her
Usage
Elude is sometimes wrongly used where allude is meant: he was alluding (not eluding) to his previous visit to the city
Synonym Usage
See escape.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
eludesimple
-
eludessimple
-
have eludedperfect
-
has eludedperfect
-
am eludingprogressive
-
are eludingprogressive
-
is eludingprogressive
-
have been eludingperfect progressive
-
has been eludingperfect progressive
Past
-
eludedsimple
-
had eludedperfect
-
was eludingprogressive
-
were eludingprogressive
-
had been eludingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of elude
First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin ēlūdere “to deceive, evade,” equivalent to ē- “from, out of” + lūdere “to play, deceive”; see e- 1
Explanation
Elude means "evade or escape," like the way you might elude the other kids during a game of hide-and-seek. This word can also mean "to be hard to understand." No matter how hard you try, the finer points of quantum physics might elude you. Elude has a slippery feeling to it. You elude the police, math can elude you — and that yak you went to see on safari but never got a glimpse of, you might say that he has eluded you as well. Delude means "to deceive," and there are times when someone can both delude and elude you — like when the conman took your money and then escaped out the back door.
Vocabulary lists containing elude
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Outsiders
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Grade 9, List 1
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Many new companies are designing their products to elude known constraints in defense workforce and supply chains.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 12, 2026
While eye-popping gains will elude them, even schools that have less exposure can see big gains by more conventional measures.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026
Alexander Zverev finally landed the Grand Slam title that threatened to elude him by overcoming Flavio Cobolli and his own nerves to win a tense French Open final in five sets.
From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026
After disappearing in 1993, Messina Denaro managed to elude authorities for the next 30 years as the Italian state cracked down on the Sicilian mob.
From Barron's ● May 28, 2026
After school I would stay in the library until it closed, just to elude the family’s overconcerned looks.
From "Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution" by Ji-li Jiang
It’s also likely that the true extent and reach of these secret sponsorships still eludes us.
From Slate ● Jun. 27, 2026
Not every collection is a success: a delicate red-orange shrimp daintily eludes the suction tube, swirling its long antenna as it swims almost triumphantly beyond reach.
From Barron's ● Jan. 26, 2026
That division once again spotlighted a painful truth for the bloc: basic political compromise to address Europe’s biggest challenges eludes the bloc.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 22, 2026
A World Cup still eludes Clarke, who has said there is a "75% chance" he will not renew his deal with the Scottish FA after next summer's finals.
From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2025
I read the e-mail six times before the letters form words and the words form sentences that I can understand, but, even then, the meaning of all the words taken together eludes me.
From "Everything, Everything" by Nicola Yoon
This has eluded neuroscience for decades, but the introduction of a new class of drugs for weight loss may have given us just the lever we need to understand it.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 12, 2026
Joe Biden used decades of congressional experience to land deals that eluded other White House staff.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 16, 2026
An Ashes triumph eluded Knight throughout her career, which must surely sting.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
He is one of the key leaders of coach Javier Aguirre’s team that will aim to reach at least the quarterfinals — a feat that has eluded El Tri in the last eight World Cups.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026
To discover what eluded me: the secret of the magic they weaved on others.
From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison
The Apache medicine man Geronimo made his now-legendary name leading raids and eluding capture during the Apache wars of the 19th century.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 5, 2026
Peddemors netted again with a cross that found its way in after eluding several players before Beerensteyn rifled in from distance to double Wolfsburg's lead.
From Barron's ● Nov. 19, 2025
In a sign of how things were going, Garbers lost a shoe on one play in which he threw the ball away while eluding defenders.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2024
Matt O'Riley added a third late on, his tame shot eluding George.
From BBC ● Mar. 31, 2024
Getting out of England was going to be his only hope of eluding the British authorities.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
