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

In the body of the book, he alludes to the subject, promising to tell more later.

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Going beyond resemblance, many incorporate symbols alluding to character traits or occupation or circumstances.

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In passing, Blanc alludes to a strained relationship with his own religious mother, which is as much personal backstory as he’s willing to confess.

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This week’s letter does not contain dates of incidents, while alluding to an alleged inadequate district response.

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“Wicked: For Good” features silver heels — a nod to L. Frank Baum’s original novel — but alludes to the red shoes when Nessarose begs to revisit that high-flying night at the Ozdust Ballroom.

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