If you allude to something, it means you refer to it indirectly, without saying it
specifically. For example, if there is a software program with lots of bugs and error
the developer might allude to the problems by saying “The process of developing
the software has been very challenging.” – He does not mention the problems, but
hints at them by describing the development as “challenging.”
If someone has just received a promotion, they might allude to it by saying they’re
happy about recent events at work. Again, the person didn’t specifically say “I’m
happy because I got a promotion,” they just referred to it very indirectly.
The word elude means to avoid or escape from something – we often talk about
criminals eluding the police or eluding capture.
We can also use elude in a mental sense, when something “escapes” your
understanding or cannot be gotten by you:
▶️ I’ve tried and failed many times; success seems to elude me.
▶️ Despite hours of study, the answer to the question continued to elude the
student.
In fast spoken English, allude and elude are often pronounced the same.