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allude

[uh-lood]

verb (used without object), -lud·ed, -lud·ing.

to refer casually or indirectly; make an allusion (usually followed by to): He often alluded to his poverty.

to contain a casual or indirect reference (usually followed by to): The letter alludes to something now forgotten.

Origin:
1525–35; < Latin allūdere to play beside, make a playful allusion to, equivalent to al- al- + lūdere to play

Related forms

pre·al·lude, verb (used without object), -lud·ed, -lud·ing.

Can be confused: allowed, allude, aloud, elude.

Synonyms
hint, intimate, suggest.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Allude is an SAT word you need to know.

So is nefarious. Does it mean:

of keen penetration discernment or sagacious; clever, cunning, or ingenious

wicked in the extreme

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Example Sentences

Throughout their correspondence, they allude to the lyrics, attesting to their powerful long-distance connection.

To the general public these contorted shapes appear to allude to nature.

Silk drapes stitched with tiny dragonflies allude to her love of nature and the outdoors.

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Collins

World English Dictionary

allude (əˈluːd)

—vb (foll by to)
1.	to refer indirectly, briefly, or implicitly
2.	(loosely) to mention

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

allude

1530s, from M.Fr. alluder, from L. alludere "to joke, jest," from ad- "to" and ludere "to play" (see ludicrous). Originally "mock," later, "make a fanciful reference to."

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Related Words

allowed aloud drive

drive glance

Matching Quote

"I allude to these facts to show that, so far from the Supper being a tradition in which men are fully agreed, there has always been the widest room for difference of opinion upon this particular. Having recently given particular attention to this subject, I was led to the conclusion that Jesus did not intend to establish an institution for perpetual observance when he ate the Passover with his disciples; and further, to the opinion that it is not expedient to celebrate it as we do."

-Ralph Waldo Emerson

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