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

The prime minister insisted there was "no misleading", pointing to downgraded forecasts for economic productivity which he said meant the government had £16bn less than it otherwise would have had.

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She said she did not "accept" that she had misled the public or financial markets.

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Suggesting that her fans had been misled by Haven's track, the label added: "We cannot allow this to become the new normal".

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No 10 has denied that Reeves misled voters and defended her statement.

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The accompanying headline, “The most powerful man in science,” is more than a little misleading.

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Related Words

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