elude
Definitions
To cleverly escape or avoid being caught.
（机敏地）逃避，躲避，使抓不到。
To fail to be remembered, achieved, or understood by someone.
（名字、答案、成功等）使想不起、得不到或弄不懂。
Root Breakdown
Root-derivede-/ex- (out) + lude (play) = 'to play your way out, slip free.' Latin eludere was to escape an opponent by trickery, as if winning a game. The fugitive eludes the police by staying out of reach; the meaning extends to abstract things slipping away — the answer eludes me, the right word eludes me.
Root lud still carries 22 more wordsCommon Collocations
- 1.elude capture逃脱抓捕
- 2.elude the police躲过警方
- 3.continue to elude始终无缘，一直得不到
- 4.elude detection躲过侦测
Example Sentences
- 1.
The suspect managed to elude the police for three weeks.
- 2.
Victory continued to elude the team all season.
- 3.
Her name eludes me, though I know her face well.
Easily Confused
elude vs allude vs evade — elude (e- + lud) is to escape or slip free ('elude capture'); allude (ad- + lud) is to hint ('allude to a scandal') — note it never takes a direct object, always 'allude to.' evade is a closer synonym of elude but suggests deliberate dodging, often of duties or questions (evade taxes, evade the question).