Meaning & use
eloped
Last updated
“eloped” is a form of “elope”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbintransitive
Ran away secretly to get married, often without telling family.
Grammar: No object; usually followed by with: she eloped with him.
Patterns
- elope with someone
- elope to a place
The couple eloped last weekend.
She eloped with her college sweetheart.
They eloped to Las Vegas.
verbintransitiveinformal
Got married in a quick, small ceremony with few or no guests.
Grammar: No object; often with to: eloped to the beach.
Patterns
- elope to a place
Rather than plan a big wedding, they eloped.
We eloped on a Tuesday afternoon.
Her parents learned they had eloped after the ceremony.
Word forms
| base form | elope |
|---|---|
| third person singular | elopes |
| past tense | eloped |
| past participle | eloped |
| -ing form | eloping |
Common combinations
- eloped with
- She eloped with her boyfriend.
- secretly eloped
- They secretly eloped.
- eloped to
- The couple eloped to Paris.
- decide to elope
- They decided to elope.
- quietly eloped
- They quietly eloped last spring.
Synonyms and how they differ
- ran away together
- A plain description of leaving together.
- married secretly
- Does not suggest running away.
- absconded
- Means leaving secretly, often with stolen goods, and not about marriage.
Word family
Commonly confused: eloped or escaped?
eloped vs escaped
Escaped means got free from a place; eloped means left to marry.
Practice
Which sentence uses eloped correctly?
Choose one answer.
Eloped is used for a couple who leave to marry, usually secretly. It takes with a person, not an object.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “eloped”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.