verb
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to give false or misleading information to
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to lead or guide in the wrong direction
Other Word Forms
- misleader noun
- unmisled adjective
Etymology
Origin of mislead
before 1050; Middle English misleden, Old English mislǣdan. See mis- 1, lead 1
Explanation
Use the verb mislead to describe what you're doing when you don't tell the whole truth, or when you let someone believe something false. You mislead someone when you point them in the wrong direction, literally or metaphorically. If you let your cousin think an expensive gift is from you when you actually just sent her a card, you are misleading her. And if you give a tourist directions away from the chain restaurant he's looking for, you are misleading him. Finally, if you think this doesn't really count as lying, you're misleading yourself.
Vocabulary lists containing mislead
Fake It 'Til You Make It: Synonyms for "False"
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mis-
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Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Prefixes: mis-
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Among its claims, the county alleged the oil companies engaged in a conspiracy to mislead the public and violated consumer protection rules by mischaracterizing the dangers of their products.
From Salon • Apr. 10, 2026
He added that that U.S. used subterfuge to mislead the Iranians who were searching for the downed aviator.
From Barron's • Apr. 6, 2026
For example, photos included in the indictment show the use of a hair dryer to move serial numbers to boxes of nonworking, replicated dummy servers in an attempt to mislead the U.S.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 21, 2026
While testifying in court earlier this month, Musk argued that he did not mislead investors and that people simply read too much into his public comments and tweets.
From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026
She hadn't intended to mislead, she hadn't acted out of malice.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
