verb · 5 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
UK:/ɪˈləʊp/
UK:/ɛˈləʊp/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
US:/ɪˈloʊp/
US:/ɛˈloʊp/
rhymes with -əʊp
CMU ARPABET:IH0 L OW1 P
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
verb
Meaning 1
Of a married or engaged person, to run away from home with a paramour.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
verb
Meaning 2
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.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
verb
Meaning 3
To escape from one's caretaker.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: mental health
Examples
Six-year-old Casey eloped during recess and police found him watching traffic lights at the intersection.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
4
verb
Meaning 4
To run away from home (for any reason).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dated, intransitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
5
verb
Meaning 5
run away secretly with one's beloved
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
The young couple eloped and got married in Las Vegas
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: run off
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: flee, fly, take flight
History
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.
Across languages
Translations
73 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Chinese:
綴人走 /缀人走
(zh-min-nan)
— to run away with a paramour
Chinese Mandarin:
私奔
(sībēn)
— to run away with a paramour
Czech:
utéci
— to run away with a paramour
Czech:
uprchnout
— to run away with a paramour
Dutch:
weglopen
— to run away with a paramour
Finnish:
karata
— to run away with a paramour
French:
s'enfuir
— to run away with a paramour
German:
durchbrennen
— to run away with a paramour
Irish:
éalaigh le chéile
— to run away with a paramour
Karok:
ithxip
— to run away with a paramour
Malayalam:
ഒളിച്ചോടുക
(oḷiccōṭuka)
— to run away with a paramour
Polish:
uciekać potajemnie z kochankiem
— to run away with a paramour
Polish:
uciec potajemnie z kochankiem
— to run away with a paramour
Portuguese:
fugir
— to run away with a paramour
Russian:
сбега́ть
(sbegátʹ)
— to run away with a paramour
Russian:
сбежа́ть
(sbežátʹ)
— to run away with a paramour
Spanish:
arrancarse
— to run away with a paramour
Spanish:
escaparse
— to run away with a paramour
Spanish:
fugarse
— to run away with a paramour
Spanish:
huir por amor
— to run away with a paramour
Spanish:
huirse amorosamente
— to run away with a paramour
Tagalog:
magtanan
— to run away with a paramour
Bulgarian:
приста́вам
(pristávam)
— to run away to get married
Chinese Cantonese:
私奔
(si1 ban1)
— to run away to get married
Hakka Chinese:
跈人走
(thèn-ngìn-chéu)
— to run away to get married
Chinese:
綴人走 /缀人走
(zh-min-nan)
— to run away to get married
Chinese Mandarin:
私奔
(sībēn)
— to run away to get married
Czech:
uprchnout (za účelem sňatku)
— to run away to get married
Dutch:
weglopen
— to run away to get married
Esperanto:
kunfuĝi
— to run away to get married
Finnish:
karata
— to run away to get married
German:
durchbrennen
— to run away to get married
Greek:
κλέβομαι
(klévomai)
— to run away to get married
Irish:
éalaigh le chéile
— to run away to get married
Japanese:
駆け落ちする
(kakeochi suru)
— to run away to get married
Khmer:
រត់តាមគ្នា
(rŭət taam kniə)
— to run away to get married
Polish:
uciekać potajemnie z partnerem
— to run away to get married
Polish:
uciec potajemnie z partnerem
— to run away to get married
Portuguese:
fugir
— to run away to get married
Russian:
сбега́ть
(sbegátʹ)
— to run away to get married
Russian:
сбежа́ть
(sbežátʹ)
— to run away to get married
Spanish:
huir para casar
— to run away to get married
Spanish:
huirse para casarse
— to run away to get married
Spanish:
jullirse para matrimoniar
— to run away to get married
Spanish:
descabullarse para matrimoniarse
— to run away to get married
Spanish:
esfumarse para enmaridar
— to run away to get married
Spanish:
pirarse para enmaridarse
— to run away to get married
Spanish:
escapar para desposarse
— to run away to get married
Tagalog:
magtanan
— to run away to get married
Vietnamese:
trốn nhà theo trai
— to run away to get married
Vietnamese:
trốn nhà theo gái
— to run away to get married
Chinese Mandarin:
逃離照顧者 /逃离照顾者
(táolí zhàogùzhě)
— to escape from one's caretaker
Finnish:
karata
— to escape from one's caretaker
Finnish:
karata hoidosta
— to escape from one's caretaker
Chinese Cantonese:
離家出走 /离家出走
(lei4 gaa1 ceot1 zau2)
— to run away from home
Chinese Mandarin:
離家出走 /离家出走
(líjiāchūzǒu)
— to run away from home
