allude

[uh-lood]

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.

allude

/ əˈluːd /

verb

1. to refer indirectly, briefly, or implicitly

2. (loosely) to mention

Confusables Note

See elude

Other Word Forms

• preallude verb (used without object)

Word History and Origins

Origin of allude¹

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of allude¹

C16: from Latin allūdere, from lūdere to sport, from lūdus a game

Example Sentences

She continues, alluding to strains she faced while dealing with fame, having asked, “If this is taking so much away from me, what is this for?”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"We don't want to be wholly dependent on communist-controlled state enterprises," Paxton said, alluding to China.

Read more on Barron's

“What happened the last time we let Muslims learn how to fly planes on US soil!” she wrote on X, alluding to the 9/11 attacks.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

U.S. officials on Thursday alluded to some tougher tactics behind the scenes.

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

Read more on The Wall Street Journal