elude
Americanverb (used with object)
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eludes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
eluded,
past participle, past
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eluding
present participle
verb
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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
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eludesimple
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eludessimple
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have eludedperfect
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has eludedperfect
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am eludingprogressive
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are eludingprogressive
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is eludingprogressive
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have been eludingperfect progressive
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has been eludingperfect progressive
Past
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eludedsimple
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had eludedperfect
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was eludingprogressive
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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
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Grade 9, List 1
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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:
Ali’s mournful assassin is trying to stay one step ahead of his enemies and, likewise, the movie fights like hell to elude conventionality.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 25, 2026
British Airways benefited from additional demand from customers, particularly corporate travelers using its routes to elude the Middle East, IAG said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
Amy Hunt retained her 100m title on Saturday and despite winning 200m silver at last year's World Championships, the national title continues to elude her.
From BBC ● Jun. 21, 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
To elude the exam panic around me, I avoided my schoolmates and stuck to Bright, little suspecting it was he of all people who would shatter my peace.
From "Flying Through Water" by Mamle Wolo
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
He reached the semi-finals of Masters, Grand Prix, European Championship and Grand Slam but that major title still eludes him.
From BBC ● Jan. 4, 2026
And despite his view of Nick’s new ambitions, Nelson invites him to a sort of dance-off, in a moment both playful and poignant; they can find communion in dance that eludes them whenever they talk.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 26, 2025
I have always thought a man should own a house near the place he was bom, where he might find a restfulness that eludes him elsewhere.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
When the Hammer selected Caland for “Made in L.A. 2016,” the honor brought some measure of the local attention that had long eluded her.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 21, 2026
He had eluded capture by setting up several camps in dense bush and despite several sightings by the public and on CCTV.
From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026
Those close to Healey argue that his emphasis this week on securing the economic growth which has eluded successive governments by spreading wealth around the country is a clear difference from Reeves.
From BBC ● Sep. 11, 2026
The U.S.—with about 16 million total annual vehicle sales and a large potential for profit—has eluded Volkswagen for decades.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 3, 2026
They agreed that it must mean something—but the meaning eluded them.
From "Harriet Tubman: Conductor on the Underground Railroad" by Ann Petry
This is an example of what Tuchel was likely eluding to when using the word "sloppy".
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
But eluding the music of rock royalty is no easy task.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 6, 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
Daniel Andreas San Diego, 46, who was arrested in Wales with assistance from British authorities, was placed on the FBI’s Most Wanted Terrorist List in 2009 after eluding capture.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 26, 2024
Somehow Osha and the wretched boys were eluding him.
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
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.
