Dictionary

elope en · VERB

Pronunciation

• /ɪˈloʊp/ (US)
• /ɛˈloʊp/ (US)
• /ɛˈləʊp/ (UK)
• /ɪˈləʊp/ (UK)
• (Southern-England) audio

Etymology

From Anglo-Norman aloper (“to abduct, run away”), itself borrowed from Proto-West Germanic *andihlaupan (“to run away”). Equivalent to and- + lope as well as and- + leap (these being doublets). More at lope.

Meanings

1. (intransitive) Of a married or engaged person, to run away from home with a paramour.
2. (intransitive) Of an unmarried person, to run away secretly for the purpose of getting married with one's intended spouse; to marry in a quick or private fashion, especially without a public period of engagement.
   • Although they had eloped in Vegas, she'd insisted he wear a tuxedo and she buy a wedding dress at one of the local stores. 2009, Jan Springer, Intimate Stranger, Ellora's Cave, published 2009, →ISBN, page 132:
   • They knew each other for maybe a month before they eloped in Vegas. 2012, Shirley Jump, One Day to Find a Husband, Harlequin, published 2012, →ISBN, page 136:
   • "[Molly:] —It was the same last time [You-Know-Who] was powerful, people eloping left right and centre– —Including you and Dad, said Ginny slyly." 2005, J. K. Rowling, “An Excess of Phlegm” (chapter 5), in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter; 6), Bloomsbury Publishing Plc, →ISBN, page 92:
   • My younger sister has left all her friends-- has eloped; has thrown herself into the power of-- of Mr. Wickham. 1813, Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice:
   • Although Cecilia was the youngest of the surviving Thrale daughters, she had been the first to marry, eloping to Gretna Green in 1795 with John Meredith Mostyn of neighboring Llewesog Lodge. Both were underage. 1996, “Introduction”, in Edward A. Bloom, Lillian D. Bloom, editors, The Piozzi Letters: Correspondence of Hester Lynch Piozzi, 1784-1821 (formerly Mrs. Thrale), Volume 4, 1805-1810, Associated University Presses, →ISBN, page 30:
3. (dated, intransitive) Of an unmarried person, to run away secretly from home in order to get married without parental or guardian consent.
   • '[…] We were within a few hours of eloping together for Scotland. The treachery, or the folly, of my cousin's maid betrayed us. I was banished to the house of a relation far distant, and she was allowed no liberty, no society, no amusement, till my father's point was gained […]' 1811, [Jane Austen], chapter IX, in Sense and Sensibility […], volume II, London: […] C[harles] Roworth, […], and published by T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC:
4. (qualifier:mental health) To escape from one's caretaker.
   • Six-year-old Casey eloped during recess and police found him watching traffic lights at the intersection.
5. (dated, intransitive) To run away from home (for any reason).
   • He had been intended by his father for trade, but his spirit, soaring above the occupation for which he was designed, from repining led him to resist, and from resisting, to rebel. He eloped from his friends, and contrived to enter the army. 1782, Frances Burney, Cecilia:
   • That horrid girl of mine has been trying to run away. I had not a notion of her being such a little devil before, she seemed to have all the Vernon milkiness; but on receiving the letter in which I declared my intention about Sir James, she actually attempted to elope; at least, I cannot otherwise account for her doing it. She meant, I suppose, to go to the Clarks in Staffordshire, for she has no other acquaintances. c. 1794, Jane Austen, “[Lady Susan.] XVI. Lady Susan to Mrs. Johnson.”, in J[ames] E[dward] Austen[-]Leigh, A Memoir of Jane Austen: […] to which is Added Lady Susan and Fragments of Two Other Unfinished Tales by Miss Austen, 2nd edition, London: Richard Bentley and Son, […], published 1871, →OCLC, pages 234–235:
   • If we'd been a bit quicker, we could have caught Gowan before he eloped 1931, Dorothy L. Sayers, The Five Red Herrings:

Forms

Deriveds

elopement · eloper

Synonyms

abscond (run away secretly to marry without consent) · run away (run away secretly to marry without consent)

Translations (73)

cmn 逃離照顧者 /逃离照顾者 (to escape from one's caretaker) · de durchbrennen (to run away with a paramour) · de weglaufen (to run away from home) · nl weglopen (to run away with a paramour) · ga éalaigh le chéile (to run away with a paramour) · bg приста́вам (to run away to get married) · ja 駆け落ちする (to run away to get married) · nan-hbl 綴人走 /缀人走 (to run away to get married) · pt abandonar (to run away from home) · it scappare (to run away from home) · de ausreißen (to run away from home) · pt fugir (to run away with a paramour) · ru сбежа́ть (to run away with a paramour) · es jullirse para matrimoniar (to run away to get married) · fi karata (to run away with a paramour) · pl uciec potajemnie z kochankiem (to run away with a paramour) · ml ഒളിച്ചോടുക (to run away with a paramour) · tl magtanan (to run away with a paramour) · pt fugir (to run away to get married) · hak 跈人走 (to run away to get married) · it allontanarsi (to run away from home) · de durchbrennen (to run away to get married) · es arrancarse (to run away with a paramour) · es huirse para casarse (to run away to get married) · fi karata hoidosta (to escape from one's caretaker) · es escaparse (to run away with a paramour) · yue 離家出走 /离家出走 (to run away from home) · es escapar para desposarse (to run away to get married) · ga éalaigh le chéile (to run away to get married) · es huir de casa (to run away from home) · eo kunfuĝi (to run away to get married) · cmn 離家出走 /离家出走 (to run away from home) · pt fugir (to run away from home) · nan-hbl 綴人走 /缀人走 (to run away with a paramour) · kyh ithxip (to run away with a paramour) · es fugarse (to run away with a paramour) · pl uciekać potajemnie z partnerem (to run away to get married) · fi karata (to run away from home) · es esfumarse para enmaridar (to run away to get married) · vi trốn nhà theo trai (to run away to get married) · es huir por amor (to run away with a paramour) · cs utéci (to run away with a paramour) · fr fuguer (to run away from home) · tl magtanan (to run away to get married) · ru сбега́ть (to run away to get married) · pt escapar (to run away from home) · fr s'enfuir (to run away with a paramour) · it abbandonare (to run away from home) · fi karata (to run away to get married) · nl weglopen (to run away to get married) · it fuggire (to run away from home) · cmn 私奔 (to run away with a paramour) · el κλέβομαι (to run away to get married) · es huir para casar (to run away to get married) · ru сбежа́ть (to run away to get married) · cmn 私奔 (to run away to get married) · cs uprchnout (za účelem sňatku) (to run away to get married) · es huirse amorosamente (to run away with a paramour) · cs utéct (to run away from home) · pl uciekać potajemnie z kochankiem (to run away with a paramour) · pl uciec z domu (to run away from home) · vi trốn nhà theo gái (to run away to get married) · fi karata (to escape from one's caretaker) · ru сбега́ть (to run away with a paramour) · cs uprchnout (to run away with a paramour) · cs utíkat (to run away from home) · pl uciekać z domu (to run away from home) · km រត់តាមគ្នា (to run away to get married) · es descabullarse para matrimoniarse (to run away to get married) · es pirarse para enmaridarse (to run away to get married) · fi karata kotoa (to run away from home) · pl uciec potajemnie z partnerem (to run away to get married) · yue 私奔 (to run away to get married)