Meaning & use
mislead
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To make someone believe something that is not true, often by giving false or incomplete information.
Grammar: Takes an object: mislead someone. Can be used in the passive: I was misled.
Patterns
- mislead someone
- mislead someone about something
- be misled by something
The advertisement misled customers about the true cost of the phone.
He misled the police by saying he was at home that night.
Don't be misled by the low price; the quality is poor.
verbtransitive
To give someone a wrong idea or impression, often unintentionally.
Grammar: Takes an object: mislead someone. Often used with 'into': mislead someone into doing something.
Patterns
- mislead someone into doing something
- mislead someone about something
The map misled us into taking the wrong road.
Her calm voice misled me into thinking she wasn't worried.
The statistics can mislead people into drawing the wrong conclusion.
Word forms
| third person singular | misleads |
|---|---|
| past tense | misled |
| past participle | misled |
| -ing form | misleading |
Common combinations
- mislead the public
- The company was accused of misleading the public about the safety of its product.
- mislead someone into thinking
- The packaging misled me into thinking the snack was healthy.
- be misled by appearances
- Don't be misled by appearances; the old building is actually well maintained.
- misleading information
- The website was shut down for spreading misleading information.
Synonyms and how they differ
- deceive
- Deceive usually means tricking someone on purpose, while mislead can be accidental or intentional.
- misinform
- Misinform means giving false information, often without the intention to deceive; mislead is broader and can include giving a wrong impression.
- beguile
- Beguile is literary and means charming or tricking someone; it is stronger and more formal than mislead.
Opposites
Word family
- misleading adjective
- Giving a wrong idea or impression.
- misleadingly adverb
- In a way that gives a wrong impression.
- misleader noun
- A person who misleads others.
Commonly confused: mislead or misled?
mislead vs misled
Misled is the past tense of mislead, not a separate word. Don't confuse it with 'misled' meaning 'led astray'.
Practice
The company was accused of ______ investors about its profits.
Choose one answer.
After the preposition 'of', we need a gerund (-ing form), so 'misleading' is correct. 'Misled' is the past tense, 'mislead' is the base form, and 'misleads' is third person singular, none of which fit after 'of'.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “mislead”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.