mislead

[mis-leed]

verb (used with object)

misled, misleading 

1. to lead or guide wrongly; lead astray.

   Synonyms: misdirect, misguide

2. to lead into error of conduct, thought, or judgment.

   Synonyms: deceive, delude

verb (used without object)

misled, misleading 

1. to be misleading; tend to deceive.

   vague directions that often mislead.

mislead

/ mɪsˈliːd /

verb

1. to give false or misleading information to

2. to lead or guide in the wrong direction

Other Word Forms

• misleader noun
• unmisled adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of mislead¹

before 1050; Middle English misleden, Old English mislǣdan. See mis- ¹, lead ¹

Example Sentences

Ruling on the case, Mr Justice Andrew Baker said the Danish tax authority had not been misled into making the payments.

From BBC

And on Tuesday, the People's Daily published a commentary titled "Misrepresenting the K visa will only mislead the public".

From BBC

In reality he is not a doctor at all, and misleading clients in this way is a criminal offence.

From BBC

The suit referenced a recent Fox News report cited by the president that misled viewers by wrongly presenting “outdated protest footage from 2020.”

From Salon

That would require showing a jury definitive proof that Comey knew he was misleading Congress, such as witness statements, documentation and other forms of evidence.

From BBC

Related Words

• betray 
• cheat 
• deceive 
• defraud 
• delude 
• dupe 
• entice 
• fool 
• fudge 
• hoodwink 
• lie 
• misguide 
• misinform 
• misrepresent 
• tempt