elude
elude — verb
- eludepresent simple I / you / we / they
- eludeshe / she / it
- eludedpast simple
- eluding-ing form
1. When something you are trying hard to get or achieve stays beyond your reach, it
When something you are trying hard to get or achieve stays beyond your reach, it eludes you.
A gold medal at the Olympics has so far eluded the young swimmer from Kenya.
so far + present perfect for continued lack of achievement
The promotion that Amara had worked toward for years continued to elude her.
Despite months of training, first place in the local chess tournament eluded Kenji.
A peaceful end to the conflict eluded the two nations for almost a decade.
The top prize in the science fair has eluded Tariq's team for three years.
- escape
more general; can be physical or abstract (e.g. 'the answer escapes me')
- evade
more active; often implies deliberate avoidance
- elude (this sense)
specific to goals or outcomes staying beyond reach
文法句型
goal/prize/outcome + elude + person
用法筆記
Subject is always the thing not achieved, not the person trying. Frequently appears with time phrases like 'so far', 'still', or 'for [time period]' to emphasise continued failure.
常見錯誤
2. to avoid being caught, found, or forced to deal with something, often by using s
to avoid being caught, found, or forced to deal with something, often by using skill or cleverness.
The thief managed to elude the police by escaping through a bathroom window.
manage to + elude + [pursuer]
The rare snow leopard has eluded wildlife photographers in the Himalayas for years.
Diego tried to elude his little sister by hiding behind the sofa.
The suspect eluded capture for nearly two weeks before turning himself in.
Politicians sometimes try to elude tough questions during press conferences.
- be caught
direct opposite — to fail in escaping
文法句型
subject (fugitive/animal) + elude + pursuer
subject (person) + elude + question/responsibility
用法筆記
Unlike sense 1, the subject here is the person or thing doing the avoiding. The object is what they escape from — a person, animal, capture, detection, or difficult situation.
常見錯誤
3. People use this word for a fact, name, or idea that they cannot bring to mind or
People use this word for a fact, name, or idea that they cannot bring to mind or figure out at a given moment.
The name of that lovely restaurant in Taipei still eludes me.
still + elude + person: memory failure
Why she would leave such a good job eludes everyone in the office.
The solution to the final puzzle eluded Fatima until she changed her approach.
It eludes me how anyone could get lost in such a small town.
The exact meeting date eludes Wei, though he knows it falls in March.
- escape (one's memory)
informal; 'the name escapes me' is very common
- baffle
stronger; implies complete inability to understand
- puzzle
softer; suggests confusion rather than blank memory
文法句型
fact/name/idea + elude + person
用法筆記
Distinguish from sense 1: here the subject is a piece of information (name, reason, solution), not a goal or prize. The failure is in memory or understanding, not in achievement.