English Reference
Verb

allude

v.
C1 Advanced US /əˈɫud/ UK /ɐlˈuːd/ al·lude UK spelling alluded, alludes, alluding

v.to mention something indirectly or to hint at it without saying it clearly. You use this when you want to talk about a topic without being direct.

v.to make an indirect or passing reference to something. Often used to hint at a sensitive or well-known subject without explicit mention.


SIMPLE

The author alludes to the king's secret in the first chapter.

CONTEXTUAL

The witness refused to answer the question directly but alluded to a conversation he had with the manager.

COMPLEX

While the poet never names the specific historical event, he alludes to its impact through the imagery of a city in ruins and a silenced crowd.

She decided to share a video online and many women contacted her with similar stories, alluding that this is a wider issue throughout Northern Ireland.

BBC News· 30 Jul 2026

From Middle French alluder, from Latin alludere (“to play with or allude”), from ad + ludere (“to play”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

This entry
Origin Latin alludere
Level C1 · Advanced
Frequency Occasional
Updated