allude

American  

[uh-lood] / əˈlud /

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.

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allude British  

/ əˈluːd /

verb

1. to refer indirectly, briefly, or implicitly

2. (loosely) to mention

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Commonly Confused

See elude

Other Word Forms

• preallude
  verb (used without object)

Etymology

Origin of allude

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

Explanation

When you allude to something, you don't identify it or mention it specifically. If you allude to the fact that a cop is sitting right behind you, your friends might stop talking about their plans to rob a bank. Allude is from Latin allūdere "to play with, joke" from the prefix ad- "toward" plus lūdere "to play." The corresponding noun is allusion, which is often used of an indirect reference in literature: Helen, a fitting name for a woman of great beauty, is an allusion to Helen of Troy.

Example Sentences

“Mine,” in this sense, doesn’t simply allude to something Corvette will steal; she’s referring to all the invisible things that comprise a mass-produced product — the labor and energy and time.

From Salon • May 22, 2026

To allude to Frank Sinatra, you did it your way.

From MarketWatch • May 13, 2026

In a statement Tuesday that didn’t allude to the suspended deliveries, the Central Bank of Iraq said it wasn’t short of U.S. currency.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026

And half of them allude to the character beats ahead.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 30, 2025

I remember Octavia talking about this during the wedding shoot, and I see a possible chance to allude to the uprising.

From "Catching Fire" by Suzanne Collins