allude
Definitions
To refer to something indirectly, by hint or suggestion rather than by naming it.
暗指，间接提及（通过暗示而非直接点名）。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedad-/al- (toward) + lude (play) = 'to play toward a meaning without naming it.' Latin alludere was to play with, jest at, or hint at something. You gesture sideways at a subject rather than stating it outright. It almost always takes 'to': allude to a problem, allude to her past.
Root lud still carries 22 more wordsUsage Guide
allude is intransitive and almost always pairs with 'to' — you allude TO something, you never 'allude something.' It implies indirectness on purpose: if you name the thing outright, you're referring to it or mentioning it, not alluding to it. Reserve allude for hints, suggestions, and oblique references.
Example Sentences
- 1.
In her speech she alluded to the scandal without naming anyone.
- 2.
The poem alludes to several Greek myths.
- 3.
He alluded to financial trouble but gave no details.
Easily Confused
allude vs elude — they sound nearly identical but are opposites in use: allude (ad- = toward) means to hint at something ('allude to a rumor'); elude (e- = out) means to escape or slip away from something ('elude the guards'). Memory hook: you point toward what you allude to, you run away from what you elude.