What does “elude” mean?
- 1
verbto escape from someone who is chasing you, often by being clever
The thief eluded the police for weeks.
- 2
verbto fail to be achieved or understood by someone
Success has eluded the team all season.
Elude at a glance
- Part of speech
- verb
- CEFR level
- C1 (advanced)
- Pronunciation
- /iˈlud/ · ih-LOOD
How to use “elude” correctly
Don’t confuse with “allude” (refer to indirectly). In the second sense, the goal is the subject: “The title eluded her.”
Common phrases with “elude”
- elude capture
- the answer eludes me
- victory eluded them
Synonyms, opposites and related words
Synonyms (similar meaning)
- evade
- escape
- dodge
Antonyms (opposite meaning)
- capture
Word family
- elusive
- elusiveness
“elude” is on these word lists
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