Word
elude
Meanings
to escape from someone or something that is trying to catch or find you
to remain unclear or not be understood or solved
to be difficult to remember or describe exactly
Definition
To elude someone or something is to avoid being caught, understood, or remembered.
To elude means to escape from someone who is trying to catch or find you. It can also mean that an idea, answer, or memory cannot be understood or remembered, even after effort. In both cases, the result is that the person searching does not succeed.
Examples
- The thief managed to elude the police.
- A clear explanation seemed to elude him during the interview.
- The solution continued to elude the research team.
- Her name eludes me right now.
- The rabbit eluded the dog by darting into the bushes.
Common mistake
Learners often confuse elude (escape or remain unclear) with avoid (choose not to do or face something).
More at C1 level
- ubiquitous Present, appearing, or found everywhere at the same time.
- xenophobia Xenophobia is a strong dislike or fear of people from other countries or cultures.
- genocide Genocide is the deliberate killing of a large number of people from a particular group in order to …
- conundrum A conundrum is a confusing and difficult problem to solve.
- pretentious Trying to seem more important, intelligent, or cultured than you really are.
More verbs
- analyze To examine something carefully in order to understand it or explain it.
- scrutinize To scrutinize something is to examine it very carefully and in detail.
- affect To affect something is to influence it or cause it to change.
- allude To allude means to mention or suggest something indirectly without saying it clearly.
- infer To infer means to form a conclusion from evidence or clues rather than from a direct statement.