Definition of 'elope'

Word Frequency

elope

(ɪloʊp )

Word forms: 3rd person singular present tense elopes , present participle eloping , past tense, past participle eloped

verb

When two people elope, they go away secretly together to get married.

My girlfriend Lynn and I eloped. [VERB]

In 1912 he eloped with Frieda von Richthofen. [VERB + with]

Synonyms: run away, leave, escape, disappear More Synonyms of elope

Word Frequency

elope in British

(ɪˈləʊp )

verb

(intransitive)

to run away secretly with a lover, esp in order to marry

Derived forms

elopement (eˈlopement)

noun

eloper (eˈloper)

noun

Word origin of 'elope'

C16: from Anglo-French aloper, perhaps from Middle Dutch lōpen to run; see lope

Word Frequency

elope in American

(iˈloʊp ; ēlōpˈ; ɪˈloʊp ; ilōpˈ)

verb intransitiveWord forms: eˈloped or eˈloping

to run away secretly, esp. in order to get married

to run away; escape; abscond

Derived forms

elopement (eˈlopement)

noun

eloper (eˈloper)

noun

Word origin of 'elope'

Anglo-Fr aloper, prob. < ME *aleapen, to leap up, run away < OE ahleapan (infl. ? by ON hlaupa, to run > lope) < a-, away + hleapan, to run, leap

Example sentences containing 'elope'

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`You know, Irena, if I'd known what a circus she was going to make of this wedding, I'd have insisted we elope. Harcourt, Palma A MATTER OF CONSCIENCE (2002)

But first she needed to talk him out of this silly notion that they were going to elope. Susan Elizabeth Phillips LADY BE GOOD (2002)

Trends of 'elope'

Used Rarely. elope is in the lower 50% of commonly used words in the Collins dictionary

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Nearby words of 'elope'

Source

Definition of elope from the Collins English Dictionary

Demonstratives

Demonstratives are used to specify the distance of something in space or time in relation to the speaker. The demonstratives are: this, that, these, those. This and these refer to objects near the s...