mislead
Americanverb (used with object)
verb (used without object)
verb
-
to give false or misleading information to
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to lead or guide in the wrong direction
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
misleadsimple
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misleadssimple
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have misledperfect
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has misledperfect
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am misleadingprogressive
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are misleadingprogressive
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is misleadingprogressive
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have been misleadingperfect progressive
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has been misleadingperfect progressive
Past
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misledsimple
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had misledperfect
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was misleadingprogressive
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were misleadingprogressive
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had been misleadingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of mislead
before 1050; Middle English misleden, Old English mislǣdan. See mis- 1, lead 1
Explanation
Use the verb mislead to describe what you're doing when you don't tell the whole truth, or when you let someone believe something false. You mislead someone when you point them in the wrong direction, literally or metaphorically. If you let your cousin think an expensive gift is from you when you actually just sent her a card, you are misleading her. And if you give a tourist directions away from the chain restaurant he's looking for, you are misleading him. Finally, if you think this doesn't really count as lying, you're misleading yourself.
Vocabulary lists containing mislead
Fake It 'Til You Make It: Synonyms for "False"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Get your science news at our website, www.scientificamerican.com, where you can check out the excerpt from Ben Goldacre’s new book Bad Pharma: How Drug Companies Mislead Doctors and Harm Patients.
From Scientific American • Feb. 14, 2013
A fairy, in another passage, asks Robin: “Are you not he That frights the maidens of the villagery, ***** Mislead night-wanderers, laughing at their harm?”
From Folk-lore of Shakespeare by Thiselton-Dyer, Thomas Firminger
Mislead, mis-lēd′, v.t. to guide into error: to cause to mistake:—pa.p. misled′.—n.
From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 2 of 4: E-M) by Various
How long, deluding phantom, wilt thou blind, Mislead, debase, unhumanize mankind?
From The Columbiad by Barlow, Joel
His Passions wild that agitate the mind, His Reason calm, their watchful guide designed, While yet unreconciled, his march restrain, Mislead the judgment and betray the man.
From The Columbiad by Barlow, Joel
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
