Meanings
present singular third person eludes · participle present eluding · participle past eluded · past eluded
- transitiveTo evade or escape from (someone or something), especially by using cunning or skill.
It leaves City still searching for the Champions League, the trophy that has always eluded them
2021 May 29, Phil McNulty, “Manchester City 0-1 Chelsea”, in BBC Sport2 more examples
Thus the observation of human blindness and weakness is the result of all philosophy, and meets us at every turn, in spite of our endeavours to elude or avoid it.
1748, David Hume, Enquiries concerning the human understanding and concerning the principles of moral., London: Oxford University Press, published 1973, § 26The line continued in operation until about 1908, but the precise date of closure has eluded research.
1951 August, P. W. Gentry, “Cliff Railways”, in Railway Magazine, page 516 - transitiveTo shake off (a pursuer); to give someone the slip.
Podolski gave Walcott a chance to further embellish Arsenal's first-half performance when he eluded James Perch and slipped the ball through to the striker.
2012 December 29, Paul Doyle, “Arsenal's Theo Walcott hits hat-trick in thrilling victory over Newcastle”, in The Guardian - transitiveTo escape being understandable to; to be incomprehensible to.
I get algebra, but calculus eludes me.
Synonyms & antonyms
verbavoid or try to avoid fulfilling, answering, or performing (duties, questions, or issues)
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
Translations
Bulgarian избягвам, отбягвам
- избягвам (izbjagvam)to evade, or escape from someone or something
- отбягвам (otbjagvam)to evade, or escape from someone or something
Catalan eludir, estar oblidat
- eludirto evade, or escape from someone or something
- estar oblidatto escape so.'s memory
- oblidarto escape so.'s memory
Chinese Mandarin 躲避, 逃避
- 躲避 (duǒbì)to evade, or escape from someone or something
- 逃避 (táobì)to evade, or escape from someone or something
Czech vyhýbat se, unikat
- vyhýbat seto evade, or escape from someone or something
- unikatto evade, or escape from someone or something
- uniknoutto shake off a pursuer
- vymykat se (chápání)to escape understanding of; to be incomprehensible to
- unikatto escape understanding of; to be incomprehensible to
Danish flygte, rømme
- flygteto evade, or escape from someone or something
- rømmeto evade, or escape from someone or something
- undvigeto evade, or escape from someone or something
- undgåto evade, or escape from someone or something
- stikke afto evade, or escape from someone or something
French éluder, oublier
- éluderto evade, or escape from someone or something
- oublierto escape so.'s memory
German sich entziehen, entgehen
- sich entziehento evade, or escape from someone or something
- entgehento evade, or escape from someone or something
- entkommento evade, or escape from someone or something
- umgehento evade, or escape from someone or something
- aus dem Weg gehento evade, or escape from someone or something
- abschüttelnto shake off a pursuer
- sich absetzen vonto shake off a pursuer
- sich entziehento shake off a pursuer
- entkommento shake off a pursuer
- entgehento shake off a pursuer
- sich jmds. Verständnis entziehento escape understanding of; to be incomprehensible to
- nicht einfallento escape so.'s memory
Italian eludere, stare dimenticato
- eludereto evade, or escape from someone or something
- stare dimenticatoto escape so.'s memory
Latin ēlūdō, dēdiscor
- ēlūdōto evade, or escape from someone or something
- dēdiscorto escape so.'s memory
- dēdoceorto escape so.'s memory
Persian اجتناب کردن, تفره رفتن
- اجتناب کردنto evade, or escape from someone or something
- تفره رفتنto evade, or escape from someone or something
Portuguese escapar, esquivar
- escaparto evade, or escape from someone or something
- esquivarto evade, or escape from someone or something
- estar esquecidoto escape so.'s memory
Romanian eluda
- eludato evade, or escape from someone or something
Russian ускользать, ускользать
- ускользать (uskolʹzatʹ)to evade, or escape from someone or something
- ускользать (uskolʹzatʹ)to escape understanding of; to be incomprehensible to
Spanish eludir, estar olvidado
- eludirto evade, or escape from someone or something
- estar olvidadoto escape so.'s memory
- olvidárseleto escape so.'s memory
Ukrainian вислизати
- вислизати (vyslyzaty)to evade, or escape from someone or something
Vietnamese trốn chạy khỏi, né tránh
- trốn chạy khỏito evade, or escape from someone or something
- né tránhto evade, or escape from someone or something
Rhymes & wordplay
Sounds the same
Anagrams
Cite this entry
elude. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/elude
“elude.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/elude. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “elude,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/elude.
Source: elude on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.