elude
Americanverb (used with object)
verb
-
to escape or avoid (capture, one's pursuers, etc), esp by cunning
-
to avoid fulfilment of (a responsibility, obligation, etc); evade
-
to escape discovery, or understanding by; baffle
the solution eluded her
Usage
Elude is sometimes wrongly used where allude is meant: he was alluding (not eluding) to his previous visit to the city
Synonym Usage
See escape.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
eludesimple
-
eludessimple
-
have eludedperfect
-
has eludedperfect
-
am eludingprogressive
-
are eludingprogressive
-
is eludingprogressive
-
have been eludingperfect progressive
-
has been eludingperfect progressive
Past
-
eludedsimple
-
had eludedperfect
-
was eludingprogressive
-
were eludingprogressive
-
had been eludingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of elude
First recorded in 1530–40; from Latin ēlūdere “to deceive, evade,” equivalent to ē- “from, out of” + lūdere “to play, deceive”; see e- 1
Explanation
Elude means "evade or escape," like the way you might elude the other kids during a game of hide-and-seek. This word can also mean "to be hard to understand." No matter how hard you try, the finer points of quantum physics might elude you. Elude has a slippery feeling to it. You elude the police, math can elude you — and that yak you went to see on safari but never got a glimpse of, you might say that he has eluded you as well. Delude means "to deceive," and there are times when someone can both delude and elude you — like when the conman took your money and then escaped out the back door.
Vocabulary lists containing elude
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Outsiders
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Grade 9, List 1
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
While eye-popping gains will elude them, even schools that have less exposure can see big gains by more conventional measures.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 9, 2026
Alexander Zverev finally landed the Grand Slam title that threatened to elude him by overcoming Flavio Cobolli and his own nerves to win a tense French Open final in five sets.
From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2026
But for reasons that still elude scientists, this arrangement falls apart when seawater warms too much and the algae leave or are expelled.
From Barron's ● May 22, 2026
He had also brought his bike, which seemed to be the best way to elude the masses.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2026
They said that a man who could elude the law as skilfully as Bigger had was “sane and responsible.”
From "Native Son" by Richard Wright
It’s also likely that the true extent and reach of these secret sponsorships still eludes us.
From Slate ● Jun. 27, 2026
Not every collection is a success: a delicate red-orange shrimp daintily eludes the suction tube, swirling its long antenna as it swims almost triumphantly beyond reach.
From Barron's ● Jan. 26, 2026
The New York Times is always entertaining when it grapples, or fails to grapple, with climate change, the scale of which simply eludes it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 16, 2026
A World Cup still eludes Clarke, who has said there is a "75% chance" he will not renew his deal with the Scottish FA after next summer's finals.
From BBC ● Jun. 7, 2025
The more anxious I am to find sleep, the more it eludes me.
From "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
He is one of the key leaders of coach Javier Aguirre’s team that will aim to reach at least the quarterfinals — a feat that has eluded El Tri in the last eight World Cups.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026
More planes are the key to earnings and free cash flow, which have eluded the company for years.
From Barron's ● May 28, 2026
A new class of drugs is poised to take on an insidious cause of heart attacks and strokes that has eluded treatment for decades.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 27, 2026
Student-loan scams have been operating for years, and they’ve eluded multiple efforts by regulators to quash them.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 30, 2026
For this, he needed equipment to manage intense radioactivities and, as a capstone, a nuclear reactor—the one nuclear technology that had eluded Lawrence’s grasp.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
This is an example of what Tuchel was likely eluding to when using the word "sloppy".
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
The Apache medicine man Geronimo made his now-legendary name leading raids and eluding capture during the Apache wars of the 19th century.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 5, 2026
Peddemors netted again with a cross that found its way in after eluding several players before Beerensteyn rifled in from distance to double Wolfsburg's lead.
From Barron's ● Nov. 19, 2025
Its narrative, which followed Br’er Rabbit and his attempts to live a life of bliss while eluding Br’er Fox and Br’er Bear, never really emotionally connected with me.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 11, 2024
Getting out of England was going to be his only hope of eluding the British authorities.
From "Spies: The Secret Showdown Between America and Russia" by Marc Favreau
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.
