Test Your Vocabulary

Take Our 10-Question Quiz

Name That Thing

Take our visual vocab quiz

Test Your Knowledge »

True or False?

A quick quiz about stuff worth knowing

Take It Now »

Join Us on FB & Twitter

Get the Word of the Day and More

Facebook | Twitter

elude


elude

verb \ē-ˈlüd\
elud·edelud·ing

Definition of ELUDE

transitive verb
1
: to avoid adroitly : evade <the mice eluded the traps> <managed to elude capture>
2
: to escape the perception, understanding, or grasp of <subtlety simply eludes them> <victory continued to elude us>
3
: defy 4 <it eludes explanation>

Examples of ELUDE

  1. The killer was able to elude the police.
  2. The killer has eluded capture.
  3. The cause of the disease continues to elude researchers.

Origin of ELUDE

Latin eludere, from e- + ludere to play — more at ludicrous
First Known Use: 1667

Browse

Next Word in the Dictionary: eluder
Previous Word in the Dictionary: elucubrate
All Words Near: elude

Seen & Heard

What made you want to look up elude? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).