mislead

verb mis·lead \ˌmis-ˈlēd\

: to cause (someone) to believe something that is not true

mis·led\-ˈled\mis·lead·ing

Full Definition of MISLEAD

transitive verb

: to lead in a wrong direction or into a mistaken action or belief often by deliberate deceit

intransitive verb

: to lead astray : give a wrong impression

— mis·lead·er noun

— mis·lead·ing·ly \-ˈlē-diŋ-lē\ adverb

See mislead defined for English-language learners

See mislead defined for kids

First Known Use of MISLEAD

before 12th century

Related to MISLEAD

Synonyms: bamboozle, beguile, bluff, buffalo, burn, catch, con, cozen, delude, dupe, fake out, fool, gaff, gammon, gull, have, have on [chiefly British], hoax, hoodwink, hornswoggle, humbug, juggle, misguide, misinform, deceive, snooker, snow, spoof, string along, sucker, suck in, take in, trick

Antonyms: undeceive

Synonym Discussion of MISLEAD

deceive, mislead, delude, beguile mean to lead astray or frustrate usually by underhandedness. deceive implies imposing a false idea or belief that causes ignorance, bewilderment, or helplessness <tried to deceive me about the cost>. mislead implies a leading astray that may or may not be intentional <I was misled by the confusing sign>. delude implies deceiving so thoroughly as to obscure the truth <we were deluded into thinking we were safe>. beguile stresses the use of charm and persuasion in deceiving <was beguiled by false promises>.

MISLED Defined for Kids