Word forms: 3rd person singular presenttense misleads, present participle misleading, past tense, past participle misled
verb
If you say that someone has misled you, you mean that they have made you believe something which is not true, either by telling you a lie or by giving you a wrong idea or impression.
Jack was furious with his London doctors for having misled him. [VERB noun]
Ministers must not knowingly mislead Parliament and the public. [VERB noun]
Synonyms: deceive, fool, delude, take someone in [informal] More Synonyms of mislead
mislead in British English
(mɪsˈliːd)
verbWord forms: -leads, -leading or -led(transitive)
1.
to give false or misleading information to
2.
to lead or guide in the wrong direction
Derived forms
misleader (misˈleader)
noun
mislead in American English
(mɪsˈlid)
verb transitiveWord forms: misˈled or misˈleading
1.
to lead in a wrong direction; lead astray
2.
to lead into error (of judgment); deceive or delude
3.
to lead into wrongdoing; influence badly
SIMILAR WORDS: deˈceive
Derived forms
misleading (misˈleading)
adjective
misleadingly (misˈleadingly)
adverb
Examples of 'mislead' in a sentence
mislead
He was found to have provided misleading information.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Despite the many other health benefits of regular exercise, this guidance has been criticised for potentially misleading the public or encouraging people to eat without restriction.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
Why do we prefer to mislead rather than lie?
The Times Literary Supplement (2011)
Such assertions are misleading to say the least.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
There is no suggestion the clients knowingly misled the taxman.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The fines follow a series of scandals over broadcasters misleading the public.
The Sun (2008)
They reckon complex charges and poor or misleading information mean we pay too much.
The Sun (2011)
These lies and misleading actions evidence their consciousness of guilt.
Christianity Today (2000)
It is misleading to say that this is representative for the whole country.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
People feel they had been lied to and misled.
The Sun (2010)
It is misleading to say that there are no physical effects.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
We apologise for publishing misleading information.
The Sun (2015)
Most sites providing cruise ship reviews have something to sell, and information can be misleading.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
More controversially, he continued to lie and mislead on the subject in his subsequent writings.
Times, Sunday Times (2012)
Four out of five claims made in adverts for cosmetics in fashion magazines are misleading, researchers say.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
I thought these claims ranged from deeply misleading to outright lies.
Times, Sunday Times (2016)
I challenge anyone to say we are misleading.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
The lobby group that persuaded politicians to back statutory controls on the press has been accused of providing misleading information to the public about its funding.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
In other languages
mislead
British English: mislead VERB
If you say that someone has misled you, you mean that they have made you believe something which is not true, either by telling you a lie or by giving you a wrong idea or impression.
It's this legend which has misled scholars.
American English: mislead
Brazilian Portuguese: induzir ao erro
Chinese: 误导
European Spanish: engañar
French: induire en erreur
German: irreführen
Italian: fuorviare
Japanese: 誤解を与える
Korean: 오도하다
European Portuguese: induzir ao erro
Latin American Spanish: engañar
Chinese translation of 'mislead'
mislead
(mɪsˈliːd)
Word forms:ptppmisled
vt
误(誤)导(導) (wùdǎo)
to mislead sb about sth在某事上误(誤)导(導)某人 (zài mǒushì shang wùdǎo mǒurén)
(verb)
Definition
to give false or confusing information to
Ministers knowingly misled the public.
Synonyms
deceive
He has deceived and disillusioned us all.
fool
Art dealers fool a lot of people.
delude
We delude ourselves that we are in control.
take someone in (informal)
He was a real charmer who totally took me in.
bluff
She tried to bluff her way through the test.
beguile
He used his newspapers to beguile his readers.
misdirect
misinform
He has been misinformed by members of his own party.
hoodwink
Many people are hoodwinked by the so-called beauty industry.
lead astray
pull the wool over someone's eyes (informal)
a phony psychic who pulled the wool over everyone's eyes
take someone for a ride (informal)
misguide
give someone a bum steer (informal, mainly US)
Additional synonyms
in the sense of beguile
Definition
to charm (someone) into doing something he or she would not normally do
He used his newspapers to beguile his readers.
Synonyms
fool,
trick,
take in,
cheat,
con (informal),
mislead,
impose on,
deceive,
dupe,
gull (archaic),
delude,
bamboozle,
hoodwink,
take for a ride (informal),
befool
in the sense of bluff
Definition
to pretend to be confident in order to influence (someone)
She tried to bluff her way through the test.
Synonyms
deceive,
lie,
trick,
fool,
pretend,
cheat,
con,
fake,
mislead,
sham,
dupe,
feign,
delude,
humbug,
bamboozle (informal),
hoodwink,
double-cross (informal),
pull the wool over someone's eyes
in the sense of delude
Definition
to make someone believe something that is not true
We delude ourselves that we are in control.
Synonyms
deceive,
kid (informal),
fool,
trick,
take in (informal),
cheat,
con (informal),
mislead,
impose on,
hoax,
dupe,
beguile,
gull (archaic),
bamboozle (informal),
hoodwink,
take for a ride (informal),
pull the wool over someone's eyes,
lead up the garden path (informal),
cozen,
misguide,
scam (slang)
Synonyms of 'mislead'
mislead
Explore 'mislead' in the dictionary
Additional synonyms
in the sense of fool
Definition
to deceive (someone), esp. in order to make them look ridiculous
Art dealers fool a lot of people.
Synonyms
deceive,
cheat,
mislead,
delude,
kid (informal),
trick,
take in,
con (informal),
stiff (slang),
have (someone) on,
bluff,
hoax,
dupe,
beguile,
gull (archaic),
swindle,
make a fool of,
bamboozle,
hoodwink,
take for a ride (informal),
put one over on (informal),
play a trick on,
pull a fast one on (informal),
scam (slang)
in the sense of hoodwink
Definition
to trick or deceive
Many people are hoodwinked by the so-called beauty industry.
Synonyms
deceive,
trick,
fool,
cheat,
con (informal),
kid (informal),
mislead,
hoax,
dupe,
gull (archaic),
delude,
swindle,
rook (slang),
bamboozle (informal),
take (someone) for a ride (informal),
lead up the garden path (informal),
sell a pup,
pull a fast one on (informal),
cozen,
befool,
scam (slang)
in the sense of misinform
Definition
to give incorrect information to
He has been misinformed by members of his own party.
Synonyms
mislead,
deceive,
misdirect,
misguide,
give someone a bum steer (informal, US)
in the sense of pull the wool over someone's eyes
a phony psychic who pulled the wool over everyone's eyes