lead1
verb OPAL S
/liːd/
/liːd/
Verb Forms
Idioms Phrasal Verbs| present simple I / you / we / they lead | /liːd/ /liːd/ |
| he / she / it leads | /liːdz/ /liːdz/ |
| past simple led | /led/ /led/ |
| past participle led | /led/ /led/ |
| -ing form leading | /ˈliːdɪŋ/ /ˈliːdɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive, transitive] to go with or in front of a person or an animal to show the way or to make them go in the right direction synonym guide
- If you lead, I'll follow.
- lead somebody/something + adv./prep. He led us out into the grounds.
- The receptionist led the way to the boardroom.
- She led the horse back into the stable.
- The robbers led police on a high-speed chase through the city.
- (figurative) I tried to lead the discussion back to the main issue.
Synonyms taketake- lead
- escort
- drive
- show
- walk
- guide
- usher
- direct
- take to go with somebody from one place to another, for example in order to show them something or to show them the way to a place:
- It’s too far to walk—I’ll take you by car.
- lead to go with or go in front of somebody in order to show them the way or to make them go in the right direction:
- Firefighters led the survivors to safety.
- escort to go with somebody in order to protect or guard them or to show them the way:
- The president arrived, escorted by twelve bodyguards.
- drive to take somebody somewhere in a car, taxi, etc:
- My mother drove us to the airport.
- show to take somebody to a particular place, in the right direction, or along the correct route:
- The attendant showed us to our seats.
- walk to go somewhere with somebody on foot, especially in order to make sure that they get there safely; to take an animal, especially a dog, for a walk or make an animal walk somewhere:
- He always walked her home.
- Have you walked the dog yet today?
- guide to show somebody the way to a place, often by going with them; to show somebody a place that you know well:
- She guided us through the busy streets.
- We were guided around the museums.
- usher (rather formal) to politely take or show somebody where they should go, especially within a building:
- She ushered her guests to their seats.
- direct (rather formal) to tell or show somebody how to get somewhere or where to go:
- A young woman directed them to the station.
- to take/lead/escort/drive/show/walk/guide/usher/direct somebody to/out of/into something
- to take/lead/escort/drive/show/walk/guide somebody around/round
- to take/lead/escort/drive/walk somebody home
- to take/lead/escort/guide somebody to safety
- to lead/show the way
Extra Examples- ‘Lead on!’ said Arnold.
- Firefighters led the survivors to safety.
- You lead the way and we'll follow.
- Five people helping to lead a convoy of aid are feared dead.
- Let me lead the way.
- She led them along a dark corridor to a small room.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- away
- back
- on
- …
- help (to)
- allow somebody to
- let somebody
- …
- along
- down
- into
- …
- lead the way
- [intransitive] to connect one object or place to another
- lead from something to something steps leading from the kitchen to the cellar
- lead from something Disconnect the pipe leading from the top of the water tank.
- lead to something The wire led to a speaker.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- directly
- back
- down
- …
- from
- onto
- to
- …
- [intransitive, transitive] to go in a particular direction or to a particular place
- + adv./prep. A path led down the hill.
- The road led away from the house directly to the lake.
- Which door leads to the yard?
- The corridor led into a spacious living room.
- lead somebody + adv./prep. The track led us through a wood.
Homophones lead | ledlead led/led//led/- lead noun
- Copper piping replaced the use of lead.
- led verb (past tense, past participle of lead1)
- The staircase led to a secret passageway.
Extra Examples- a path leading from the village to the old church
- An old track led back through the wood.
- The glass doors lead out onto a rooftop garden.
- The gardens lead directly onto a beach.
- (figurative) Discussion of a client's tax affairs will lead naturally into consideration of investment options.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- directly
- back
- down
- …
- from
- onto
- to
- …
- [intransitive] lead to something to have something as a result synonym result in
- The carbon tax will inevitably lead to an increase in energy bills.
- the events that eventually led to war
- The fire ant's painful sting can ultimately lead to death for some people.
- Eating too much sugar can lead to health problems.
- A reward was offered for information leading to an arrest.
Language Bank causecauseX causes Y- Childhood obesity can cause/lead to long-term health problems.
- Changes in lifestyle and diet over the last twenty years have caused/led to/resulted in a sharp increase in childhood obesity.
- Several factors, including changes in diet and lifestyle, have contributed to the increase in childhood obesity.
- Research suggests that fast food and soft drinks directly contribute to childhood obesity.
- Genetics, lifestyle and diet are all important factors in cases of childhood obesity.
- Even small changes in lifestyle and diet can bring about significant weight loss.
Extra ExamplesTopics Change, cause and effecta2- Business success does not automatically lead to financial success.
- These measures in turn led to an increased opportunity for independent music production.
- Worrying about your weight is more likely to lead to low self-esteem.
- The use of soft drugs does not necessarily lead to a progression to hard drugs.
- Such actions would most likely lead to the decline of rural communities.
- Sugar and fat can easily lead to obesity.
- Industrialization inevitably led to the expansion of the urban working class.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- normally
- usually
- inevitably
- …
- can
- may
- might
- …
- to
- [transitive] to be the reason why somebody does or thinks something
- lead somebody (to something) What led you to this conclusion?
- He's too easily led (= easily persuaded to do or think something).
- lead somebody to do something Circumstances eventually led her to train as a doctor.
- The situation is far worse than we had been led to believe.
Extra Examples- Some children are easily led.
- This has led scientists to speculate on the existence of other galaxies.
- What we found leads us to suspect that more people may be involved.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- normally
- usually
- inevitably
- …
- can
- may
- might
- …
- to
- [transitive, intransitive] lead (something) to be in control of something; to be the leader of something
- to lead a team/group
- to lead an expedition/a discussion
- Inspector Sam Roland is leading the investigation.
- Who will lead the party in the next election?
- The campaign for the ban was led by Greenpeace.
- A good manager leads by example (= shows people how to behave by behaving in that way themselves).
Extra Examples- The project is run by a team of experts led by Andrew Hall.
- He led the first expedition to the North Pole.
- Detective Inspector Adrian Eakins, who is leading the hunt for the killer, has called a press conference.
- [transitive, intransitive] to be the best at something; to be in first place
- lead (somebody/something) (in something) The department led the world in cancer research.
- We lead the way in space technology.
- lead (somebody/something) by something The champion is leading (her nearest rival) by 18 seconds.
Extra Examples- The firm's solid construction standards still lead the field.
- He led the race for eight laps until his engine blew.
- [transitive] lead something to have a particular type of life
- We lead a very quiet life.
- to lead a life of luxury/a miserable existence
- I tried to lead as normal a life as possible.
- [transitive] lead something to cause a process to start
- The recent economic recovery was almost entirely led by exports.
- [intransitive, transitive] to play first; to play something as your first card
- It's your turn to lead.
- lead something to lead the ten of clubs
show the way
connect two things
of road/path/door
cause
be in control
be best/first
life
process
in card games
Word OriginOld English lǣdan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch leiden and German leiten, also to load and lode.
Idioms
the blind leading the blind
- a situation in which people with almost no experience or knowledge give advice to others who also have no experience or knowledgeTopics Suggestions and advicec2
lead somebody astray
- to make somebody go in the wrong direction or do things that are wrong
- Jack's parents thought the other boys might lead him astray.
lead somebody by the nose
- (informal) to make somebody do everything you want; to control somebody completely
lead the charge
- to be the first to make the effort to do something new
- Denmark, Norway and Sweden are united in leading the charge to a cash-free economy.
lead somebody a (merry) dance
- (British English, informal) to cause somebody a lot of trouble or worry
lead from the front
- to take an active part in what you are telling or persuading others to do
lead/live the life of Riley
- (old-fashioned, informal, often disapproving) to live a happy and comfortable life with no problems or responsibilities
- The two crooks had been living the life of Riley.
- He planned to retire early and then lead the life of Riley.
lead (somebody) nowhere
- to have no successful result for somebody
- This discussion is leading us nowhere.
- Often there are discoveries which lead nowhere.
lead somebody up/down the garden path
- (informal) to make somebody believe something that is not true
one thing leads to another
- used to suggest that the way one event or action leads to others is so obvious that it does not need to be stated
- He offered me a ride home one night, and, well, one thing led to another and now we're married!
you can lead/take a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink
- (saying) you can give somebody the opportunity to do something, but you cannot force them to do it if they do not want to
