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

“You allude, perhaps, to the entail of this estate.”

From "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen

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

"Every pundit alludes to it, but it all comes down to mental resilience. 'Bazball' has been elevated to a term now that is just, like, nonsense cricket," added Rory.

From BBC ● Dec. 22, 2025

“Degen” is a term that alludes to degenerate gamblers and first gained popularity on Reddit to refer to investors who gravitate toward wildly risky strategies.

From MarketWatch ● Dec. 15, 2025

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.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 25, 2025

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

Trump on Wednesday alluded to threats to his life when speaking to reporters in Ankara, Turkey.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 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

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, an astute student of both politics and pop culture, has coyly alluded to the wedding chatter during press conferences.

From BBC ● Jul. 3, 2026

Niki’s musical genius is frequently alluded to, dreams deferred by his hearing disorder, and Woodall physically communicates that repressed frustration.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026

He wrote Odes in honor of the victors in the games at the great national festivals of Greece, and in every one of his poems myths are told or alluded to.

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

While Apple customizes many components inside iPhones, Khan said, “there isn’t a lot of customization” for memory, alluding to the possibility that commodity Chinese memory chips could be used.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

Next to me, Emmy whispered as the movie began, “They look even better than I imagined,” alluding to my bangs.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 13, 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

"We have the responsibility of listening to both sides. The doors for dialogue are open," she said, alluding to Sanchez and others on the left.

From Barron's ● Jun. 29, 2026

“Do you even know what the challenge you are alluding to was?” the man in the grey suit asks.

From "The Night Circus" by Erin Morgenstern