Word: Mislead

Pronunciation

/ˌmɪsˈliːd/

Definitions

• Verb: To give someone wrong or misleading information that causes them to have a mistaken belief or understanding about something.

  Mislead can be transitive, meaning it requires an object; the action of misleading is done to someone or something.

  • Example: “The confusing instructions misled many users into installing the software incorrectly.”

• Noun (Derived Form): The act of misleading or the state of being misled; a misleading statement or piece of information.

  Mislead as a noun isn’t commonly used but can refer to the instance or result of misleading someone.

  • Example: “His insistence on defending the misleading figures was a clear sign of his intent to spread misinformation.”

Phrases

• “Lead someone astray” means to mislead them by giving them false or incorrect guidance.
• “To be misled by someone/something” indicates that one has been given deceptive information leading to misunderstanding.

Example Sentences

• Verb: “The politician’s vague statements were meant to mislead voters about his actual stance on healthcare reform.”
• Noun (Derived Form): “We need to address this misconception; it’s clearly a case of the public being misled by the media reports.”

Synonyms

• Deceive
• Misinform
• Confuse
• Delude
• Beguile
• Lead Astray
• bamboozle
• hoodwink
• dupe