verb
mislead
mis-LEED/ˌmɪsˈliːd/
To cause someone to believe something false or wrong.
The seller misleads the customer by hiding rotten apples underneath.
Etymology
Wrongly guiding people can mean directing their thoughts as well as their steps. The Old English compound already especially meant drawing someone into error, directly connecting guidance with false belief.
In context
If both documents don't match, which one is real? And if the dates don't add up, is this a sloppy mistake or a deliberate attempt to mislead the court?
More examples
- Averages can mislead readers when a few numbers are unusually high.
- We were misled into thinking breakfast was included in the price.
- I didn't mean to mislead you; I had the wrong date.
Forms
mislead · misleads · misled · misleading
misleading adjective — giving someone a false impression