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allude

/əˈlud/
/əˈlud/
IPA guide

Other forms: alluded; alluding; alludes

When you allude to something, you don't identify it or mention it specifically. If you allude to the fact that a cop is sitting right behind you, your friends might stop talking about their plans to rob a bank.

Allude is from Latin allūdere "to play with, joke" from the prefix ad- "toward" plus lūdere "to play." The corresponding noun is allusion, which is often used of an indirect reference in literature: Helen, a fitting name for a woman of great beauty, is an allusion to Helen of Troy.

Definitions of allude
  1. verb
    make a more or less disguised reference to
    “He alluded to the problem but did not mention it”
    synonyms: advert, touch
    see moresee less
    type of:
    hint, suggest
    drop a hint; intimate by a hint
Pronunciation
US
/əˈlud/
UK
/əˈlud/
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DISCLAIMER: These example sentences appear in various news sources and books to reflect the usage of the word ‘allude'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of gold-punch.com or its editors. Send us feedback
Commonly confused words

allude / elude

Allude is coy, to allude is to refer to something in an indirect manner. But elude's favorite thing to do is hide from the cops; it means "to evade." Because the accent is on the second syllable in both words, it's easy to get them mixed up.

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