allude

American  

[uh-lood] / əˈlud /

verb (used without object)

• alludes,
  present (3rd person singular)
• alluded,
  past participle,  past
• alluding
  present participle

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

Derived Forms

• preallude
  verb (used without object)

Inflected Forms

Participles

• alluding
  present
• alluded
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• allude
  simple
• alludes
  simple
• have alluded
  perfect
• has alluded
  perfect
• am alluding
  progressive
• are alluding
  progressive
• is alluding
  progressive
• have been alluding
  perfect progressive
• has been alluding
  perfect progressive

Past

• alluded
  simple
• had alluded
  perfect
• was alluding
  progressive
• were alluding
  progressive
• had been alluding
  perfect progressive

Future

• will allude
  simple
• will have alluded
  perfect
• will be alluding
  progressive
• will have been alluding
  perfect progressive

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

See Examples For:

allude alludes alluded alluding

She faces in the opposite direction of “Femme,” but the shape of her face and pointed nose, and the way her large hat exceeds the picture frame, allude to Matisse.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026

The statement appears to allude to a number of high-profile dossiers handled by Khan.

From Barron's ● Jul. 24, 2026

“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

In its review, the Hechinger Report found other companies that similarly allude to fictitious government programs.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 30, 2026

Just every now and then, Ruth would allude to it.

From "Never Let Me Go" by Kazuo Ishiguro

On TikTok and Instagram, a person's "aura" alludes to their style or attitude, with "100% aura" high praise for the most effortlessly cool persona.

From Barron's ● Aug. 22, 2026

The title of Ryan Effgen’s appealing debut novel, “Make Nice,” alludes to the pet exhortation of dear old mom; it’s what she hoped for from her offspring at this five-day reunion.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026

But independent investment research provider Variant Perception alludes to a looming shift in market psyche as they reckon “the next couple of days will mark ‘peak uncertainty’ about the Iran war.”

From MarketWatch ● Mar. 20, 2026

The teapot piece has pea tendril decor, which alludes to my favorite spring garden vegetable.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 13, 2026

I have taken this story entirely from Sophocles’ play of that name except for the riddle of the Sphinx which Sophocles merely alludes to.

From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton

In those letters, published by the Daily Beast, she has thanked the president for “always being there” for her and alluded to a “promise” Trump made to her after she lost her dad.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 30, 2026

As Iraola alluded to after, perhaps one of his players should have had the know how to commit a foul in that situation but Liverpool were punished again.

From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026

The IMF pointed to the unsettled nature of the Mideast conflict and also alluded to a possible backlash against artificial intelligence that damages stock markets.

From MarketWatch ● Jul. 8, 2026

Stanley Kubrick’s 1971 film is directly alluded to on the walls of one of Renton’s nightclub haunts, which are decorated like the Korova Milkbar.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026

Most conspicuously, in virtually the central spot of the otherwise empty and highly polished floor, lay the dustpan Miss Kenton had alluded to.

From "The Remains of the Day" by Kazuo Ishiguro

Mr. Peters was alluding to a similar fiscal trick, which is resulting in more than half a trillion dollars in higher Medicare costs for seniors and taxpayers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 6, 2026

She decided to share a video online and many women contacted her with similar stories, alluding that this is a wider issue throughout Northern Ireland.

From BBC ● Jul. 29, 2026

Layers of synthesizers bubble and brood; vocal samples drift in and out of tracks, flat and unsettling, alluding to God and human biology.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026

This new space contrasts a bright, vivid backdrop with dark furnishings, alluding to the brand’s edgy, crisp designs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 8, 2026

She fed me without alluding to my poverty, and from then on I continued to visit her.

From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela