Definition of ELUDE

elude

Verb

Verb Forms: eluded, eluding, eludes

  • To escape from or avoid, often by cunning or skill.
  • escape, either physically or mentally
    • "The thief eluded the police"
  • be incomprehensible to; escape understanding by
    • "What you are seeing in him eludes me"
  • avoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues)
  • To evade or escape from (someone or something), especially by using cunning or skill.
  • To shake off (a pursuer); to give someone the slip.
  • To escape being understandable to; to be incomprehensible to.
  • To escape someone's memory, to slip someone's mind.

Examples

  • I get algebra, but calculus eludes me.
  • The perfect seven-letter word seemed to ELUDE him, despite his best efforts to find it.
  • The solution of that brainteaser eludes me and the name of the author eludes my memory too.

Origin / Etymology

From Latin ēlūdō (“to evade, elude”), from ē- (“out of”, short form of ex-) + lūdō (“to play; to trick”).

Scrabble Score: 6

elude: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
elude: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
elude: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 8

elude: valid Words With Friends Word