elude

UK: /ɪˈluːd/ US: /ɪˈlud/ ,(i lo̅o̅d′)

Inflections of 'elude' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

eludes

v 3rd person singular

eluding

v pres p

eluded

v past

eluded

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

e•lude /ɪˈlud/   v. [~ + object] , e•lud•ed, e•lud•ing. 

1. to avoid capture by;
   escape from;
   evade:
   The thief eluded the police.
2. to escape the understanding or comprehension of:
   His popularity eludes me.

See -lud-. Synonyms

See escape.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

e•lude  (i lo̅o̅d′), v.t., e•lud•ed, e•lud•ing. 

1. to avoid or escape by speed, cleverness, trickery, etc.;
   evade:
   to elude capture.
2. to escape the understanding, perception, or appreciation of:
   The answer eludes me.

• Latin ēlūdere to deceive, evade, equivalent. to ē- e- + lūdere to play, deceive
• 1530–40

e•lud′er, n. 
Synonyms

• 1. shun, dodge. See escape. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

elude / ɪˈluːd/ verb (transitive)

1. to escape or avoid (capture, one's pursuers, etc), esp by cunning
2. to avoid fulfilment of (a responsibility, obligation, etc); evade
3. to escape discovery, or understanding by; baffle

Etymology: 16th Century: from Latin ēlūdere to deceive, from lūdere to play

eˈluder noun

elusion / ɪˈluːʒən/ noun

USAGE
Elude is sometimes wrongly used where allude is meant: he was alluding (not eluding) to his previous visit to the city