allude
Americanverb (used without object)
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to refer casually or indirectly; make an allusion (usually followed byto ).
He often alluded to his poverty.
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to contain a casual or indirect reference (usually followed byto ).
The letter alludes to something now forgotten.
verb
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to refer indirectly, briefly, or implicitly
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(loosely) to mention
Commonly Confused
See elude
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has alludedperfect 3rd person singular
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have alludedperfect
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are alludingprogressive
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have been alludingperfect progressive
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has been alludingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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alludessingular 3rd person
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am alludingprogressive 1st person singular
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is alludingprogressive 3rd person singular
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alludingparticiple
Past
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had alludedperfect
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were alludingprogressive plural
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had been alludingperfect progressive
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was alludingprogressive singular
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alludedsimple
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alludedparticiple
Future
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.
Vocabulary lists containing allude
The SAT: Language of the Test, List 1
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100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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The ACT: The Language of the Test, List 1
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
On the campaign trail, besmirched lawmakers tend to consult a familiar playbook: Allude to the charges if cornered, but only in passing.
From New York Times • Sep. 3, 2014
Allude is now very rarely used in any other sense than that of to speak of, to mention, to name, which is a long way from being its legitimate signification.
From The Verbalist A Manual Devoted to Brief Discussions of the Right and the Wrong Use of Words and to Some Other Matters of Interest to Those Who Would Speak and Write with Propriety. by Osmun, Thomas Embly
Allude to, refer to, mention.—We mention a thing when we name it directly.
From Practical Exercises in English by Buehler, Huber Gray
Allude to, Refer to, Mention The word allude is often incorrectly used.
From Slips of Speech : a Helpful Book for Everyone Who Aspires to Correct the Everyday Errors of Speaking by Bechtel, John Hendricks
Allude to his illness as fever, and leave to himself entirely the option of telling you the true story or not.'
From Tony Butler by Lever, Charles James
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
