Bad data may mislead doctors into the wrong diagnosis.
She felt the photo misled people about the room's size.
Do not let the name mislead you about the product.
A label saying natural may mislead shoppers.
A vague clue can mislead the team during the search.
Similar words
fool
hoodwink
misinform
misdirect
deceive
trick
beguile
divert
delude
dupe
Meanings
Create a false belief
verb
communication
neutral
To make someone believe something untrue, often by giving false information or by leaving a wrong impression.
Usage
Use mislead when a statement, image, number, or silence points someone away from the truth.
Examples
The headline misled readers about the study's findings.
The company misleads customers when it hides extra fees.
Numbers without context can mislead investors.
She felt the photo misled people about the room's size.
The witness did not intend to mislead the court.
A label saying natural may mislead shoppers.
Common mistakes
The past form is often written as mislead instead of misled.
Incorrect
Correct
The headline mislead readers yesterday.
The headline misled readers yesterday.
Customers were mislead by the small print.
Customers were misled by the small print.
The report was a mislead about the risk.
The report was misleading about the risk.
The chart lied the public about the cost.
The chart misled the public about the cost.
Similar words
deceive
misinform
delude
fool
trick
hoodwink
dupe
beguile
Guide in the wrong direction
verb
guidance
neutral
To lead someone toward the wrong place, choice, action, or conclusion.
Usage
Use mislead when bad signs, poor advice, or a false clue sends someone the wrong way.
Examples
The old signs misled drivers onto a closed road.
A vague clue can mislead the team during the search.
The shortcut misleads hikers away from the trail.
His advice misled her into refusing the offer.
Do not let the name mislead you about the product.
Bad data may mislead doctors into the wrong diagnosis.
Common mistakes
The adjective misleading is often used where the verb form is needed.
Incorrect
Correct
The old map misleading us into the valley.
The old map misled us into the valley.
These signs are mislead for drivers.
These signs are misleading for drivers.
The clue mislead the team last night.
The clue misled the team last night.
The guide misplaced us at the border.
The guide misled us at the border.
Similar words
misdirect
misguide
deceive
divert
confuse
throw off
lead astray
Usage
Use mislead for false impressions and wrong guidance, whether the deception is deliberate or the result of confusing information.
Common mistakes
Mislead is often used as the past tense, but the past and past participle are misled.
Etymology
From Old English mislǣdan, formed from mis-, meaning wrong or astray, and lǣdan, to lead or guide.
FAQ
What does mislead mean?
Mislead means to make someone believe something false or to guide someone toward the wrong place, action, or conclusion.
What is the past tense of mislead?
The past tense and past participle are misled, not mislead or misleaded.
Is mislead always intentional?
No. Mislead can describe deliberate deception, but confusing information, bad signs, or an unclear name can also mislead.
Can mislead be a noun?
No. The usual noun choices are misleading statement, misdirection, deception, or false impression, depending on the sense.
What is the difference between mislead and lie?
A lie is a false statement. Mislead is broader because a true statement, an image, or missing context can also create the wrong belief.
What are good synonyms for mislead?
Common synonyms include deceive, misinform, misdirect, misguide, fool, and lead astray.
Comments & contributions
Know this word from another angle? Add a correction, a nuance, or a usage note. New posts go public after a quick review.
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Sincere Seahorse
3 days ago
en mi clase siempre escribiamos 'was mislead' y la profe lo marcaba en rojo jaja
1
Reply
Polar Whale
6 days ago
for maps I usually hear 'the sign sent us the wrong way' in normal chat, not 'the sign misled us'. both are fine but one sounds less dramatic
0
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Cobalt Whale
Jul 6
I like 'left the wrong impression' for this word. Sometimes nobody says a false sentence and you still feel tricked.
0
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Cozy Marmot
Jul 3
every time a headline says 'X causes Y' and the article is only 'X was linked with Y', thats misleading, not exactly a lie
2
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Bright Bunting
Jul 1
misled still looks like it should rhyme with filed to me. English spelling is pain
1
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Contribution
Civil Sandpiper
Jun 26
Misleading is the label for the thing causing the problem, misled is for the person. The chart was misleading, I was misled by the chart. If u say 'I am misleading' it sounds like you are the one doing the fooling.
2
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Violet Bunting
Jun 26
This was my mistake for years, I wrote 'I am misleading by the chart' once lol
1
Contribution
Solar Llama
Jun 24
Grammar trap I see a lot: it is mislead someone, not mislead to someone. Then about is the topic, into is the bad action. The brochure misled tourists about the price, or misled them into booking.
4
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Silent Iguana
Jun 25
same with 'misled me to think' maybe people say it, but 'into thinking' sounds much cleaner
0
Contribution
Jolly Jay
Jun 16
In US consumer-law writing, misleading does not always mean somebody proved a lie on purpose. The FTC test is more like: would a reasonable buyer get the wrong impression, even because something important was left out. So 'this ad is misleading' is usually safer than 'this ad is lying'.
5
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Snowy Horse
Jun 16
yeah, the 'likely to mislead' wording is all over ad rules