Elude vs allude
For today’s lesson, let’s look at a commonly confused pair of homophones: elude and allude. What’s the difference between these words, and what’s their correct use in writing?
What do “elude” and “allude” mean?
To elude is a verb that means to “evade or escape from (a danger, enemy, or pursuer), typically in a skillful or cunning way: he managed to elude his pursuers by escaping into an alley.” Elude is similar in meaning to avoid, escape from, or evade.
Allude is also a verb, and means to ‘make an indirect reference: comments alluding to an earlier discussion.’ In this way, when we allude, usually towards something, it’s similar to insinuate, hint at, or imply.
| Sentence with ‘elude | Sentence with ‘allude’ |
| He thought he would elude the police for weeks. | Her comments allude to a preference for earlier forms of art. |
The history of allude and elude
When in doubt, look to the language of origin. While elude and allude are both verbs, this is not all they have in common: both derive from the Latin root word, ludere, meaning “to play”. The prefix for elude is ex– “out, away”. When attached to the root word (ludere), we get out + play, which is close in meaning to elude.
The prefix for allude, ad– “to, toward”, when paired with the root word ludere means “to play” + “toward, to”. In other words, to play towards something, i.e., hint at or suggest. Both words describe a playful avoidance or evasion of a kind, but in a different manner.
“Allude” / “elude” usage
| Word | Example Sentences |
|---|---|
| elude |
The clever criminal managed to elude the police by using a network of hidden tunnels.
Despite hours of searching, the answer to the riddle continued to elude them. The butterfly’s delicate beauty seemed to elude capture as it flitted from flower to flower. |
| allude |
She subtly alluded to her upcoming surprise without giving away any details.
The author’s clever wordplay in the novel allowed her to allude to historical events without explicitly mentioning them. His comment seemed to allude to a secret that only a few people were aware of. |
“allude” and “elude,” associate “allude” with “indirectly referencing” (like a subtle allusion) and “elude” with “evading” (like escaping from something).
Similar words
| Word | Similar words |
|---|---|
| allude | suggest, hint at, imply, insinuate, broach, make an allusion to, infer |
| elude | evade, avoid, dodge, flee, escape from, slip away from, shake off, eschew |
The origin of elude & allude
| Word | Etymology |
|---|---|
| elude | 1530s, “delude, make a fool of,” from Latin eludere “finish play, win at play; escape from or parry (a blow), make a fool of, mock, frustrate; win from at play,” from assimilated form of ex “out, away” (see ex-) + ludere “to play”. |
| allude | 1530s, “to mock” (transitive, now obsolete), from French alluder or directly from Latin alludere “to play, make fun of, joke, jest,” … “to” (see ad-) + ludere “to play” (see ludicrous). The meaning “make an indirect reference, point in passing” is from 1530s. |
In review: elude vs. allude
- Elude generally means to escape or avoid something skillfully, to evade or evade capture, or to fail to be understood or grasped.
- Allude means to suggest or indirectly reference something, often without explicitly stating it.
Read about other confusing words
Practice: Elude or allude?
The suspect tried to ______ the police.
In her speech, she will ______ to her childhood struggles.
The answer continues to ______ me.
He likes to ______ to famous movies in his jokes.
The mouse managed to ______ the cat by hiding.
FAQs
What does ‘allude’ mean?
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What is the difference?
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Yash, D. "How to Use Allude vs. Elude (Definition & Examples)." Grammarflex, Aug 24, 2025, https://grammarflex.com/elude-or-allude/.
