lead1
verb/liːd/
/liːd/
Verb Forms
Idioms Phrasal Verbs| present simple I / you / we / they lead | /liːd/ /liːd/ |
| he / she / it leads | /liːdz/ /liːdz/ |
| past simple led | /led/ /led/ |
| past participle led | /led/ /led/ |
| -ing form leading | /ˈliːdɪŋ/ /ˈliːdɪŋ/ |
- [intransitive, transitive] to go with or in front of a person or an animal to show the way or to make them go in the right direction synonym guide
- If you lead, I'll follow.
- lead somebody/something + adv./prep. He led us out into the grounds.
- The receptionist led the way to the boardroom.
- She led the horse back into the stable.
- The robbers led police on a high-speed chase through the city.
- (figurative) I tried to lead the discussion back to the main issue.
Synonyms taketakelead ▪ escort ▪ drive ▪ show ▪ walk ▪ guide ▪ usher ▪ directThese words all mean to go with somebody from one place to another.take to go with somebody from one place to another, for example in order to show them something or to show them the way to a place:- It’s too far to walk—I’ll take you by car.
- Firefighters led the survivors to safety.
- The President arrived, escorted by twelve bodyguards.
- My mother drove us to the airport.
- The attendant showed us to our seats.
- He always walked her home.
- Have you walked the dog yet today?
- She guided us through the busy streets.
- We were guided around the museums.
- She ushered her guests to their seats.
- A young woman directed them to the station.
- to take/lead/escort/drive/show/walk/guide/usher/direct somebody to/out of/into something
- to take/lead/escort/drive/show/walk/guide somebody around/round
- to take/lead/escort/drive/walk somebody home
- to take/lead/escort/guide somebody to safety
- to lead/show the way
Extra Examples- ‘Lead on!’ said Arnold.
- Firefighters led the survivors to safety.
- You lead the way and we'll follow.
- Five people helping to lead a convoy of aid are feared dead.
- Let me lead the way.
- She led them along a dark corridor to a small room.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- away
- back
- on
- …
- help (to)
- allow somebody to
- let somebody
- …
- along
- down
- into
- …
- lead the way
- [intransitive] to connect one object or place to another
- lead from something to something steps leading from the kitchen to the cellar
- lead from something Disconnect the pipe leading from the top of the water tank.
- lead to something The wire led to a speaker.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- directly
- back
- down
- …
- from
- onto
- to
- …
- [intransitive, transitive] to go in a particular direction or to a particular place
- + adv./prep. A path led down the hill.
- The road led away from the house directly to the lake.
- Which door leads to the yard?
- The corridor led into a spacious living room.
- lead somebody + adv./prep. The track led us through a wood.
Homophones lead | ledlead led/led//led/- lead noun
- Copper piping replaced the use of lead.
- led verb (past tense, past participle of lead1)
- The staircase led to a secret passageway.
Extra Examples- a path leading from the village to the old church
- An old track led back through the wood.
- The glass doors lead out onto a rooftop garden.
- The gardens lead directly onto a beach.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- directly
- back
- down
- …
- from
- onto
- to
- …
- [intransitive] lead to something to have something as a result synonym result in
- The carbon tax will inevitably lead to an increase in energy bills.
- the events that eventually led to war
- The fire ant's painful sting can ultimately lead to death for some people.
- Eating too much sugar can lead to health problems.
- A reward was offered for information leading to an arrest.
Language Bank causecauseX causes Y- Childhood obesity can cause/lead to long-term health problems.
- Changes in lifestyle and diet over the last twenty years have caused/led to/resulted in a sharp increase in childhood obesity.
- Several factors, including changes in diet and lifestyle, have contributed to the increase in childhood obesity.
- Research suggests that fast food and soft drinks directly contribute to childhood obesity.
- Genetics, lifestyle and diet are all important factors in cases of childhood obesity.
- Even small changes in lifestyle and diet can bring about significant weight loss.
Extra ExamplesTopics Change, cause and effecta2- Business success does not automatically lead to financial success.
- These measures in turn led to an increased opportunity for independent music production.
- Worrying about your weight is more likely to lead to low self-esteem.
- Such actions would most likely lead to the decline of rural communities.
- Sugar and fat can easily lead to obesity.
- Industrialization inevitably led to the expansion of the urban working class.
- Discussion of a client's tax affairs will lead naturally to consideration of investment options.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- normally
- usually
- inevitably
- …
- can
- may
- might
- …
- to
- [transitive] to be the reason why somebody does or thinks something
- lead somebody (to something) What led you to this conclusion?
- He's too easily led (= easily persuaded to do or think something).
- lead somebody to do something Circumstances eventually led her to train as a doctor.
- The situation is far worse than we had been led to believe.
Extra Examples- Some children are easily led.
- This has led scientists to speculate on the existence of other galaxies.
- What we found leads us to suspect that more people may be involved.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- normally
- usually
- inevitably
- …
- can
- may
- might
- …
- to
- [transitive, intransitive] lead (something) to be in control of something; to be the leader of something
- to lead a team/group
- to lead an expedition/a discussion
- Inspector Sam Roland is leading the investigation.
- Who will lead the party in the next election?
- The campaign for the ban was led by Greenpeace.
- A good manager leads by example (= shows people how to behave by behaving in that way themselves).
Extra Examples- The project is run by a team of experts led by Andrew Hall.
- He led the first expedition to the North Pole.
- Detective Inspector Susan Eakins, who is leading the hunt for the killer, has called a press conference.
- [transitive, intransitive] to be the best at something; to be in first place
- lead (somebody/something) (in something) The department led the world in cancer research.
- We lead the way in space technology.
- lead (somebody/something) by something The champion is leading (her nearest rival) by 18 seconds.
Extra Examples- The firm's solid construction standards still lead the field.
- He led the race for eight laps until his engine blew.
- [transitive] lead something to have a particular type of life
- We lead a very quiet life.
- to lead a life of luxury/a miserable existence
- I tried to lead as normal a life as possible.
- [transitive] lead something to cause a process to start
- The recent economic recovery was almost entirely led by exports.
- [intransitive, transitive] to play first; to play something as your first card
- It's your turn to lead.
- lead something to lead the ten of clubs
show the way
connect two things
of road/path/door
cause
be in control
be best/first
life
process
in card games
Word OriginOld English lǣdan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch leiden and German leiten, also to load and lode.
Idioms
See lead in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee lead in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic Englishthe blind leading the blind
- a situation in which people with almost no experience or knowledge give advice to others who also have no experience or knowledgeTopics Suggestions and advicec2
lead somebody astray
- to make somebody go in the wrong direction or do things that are wrong
- Jack's parents thought the other boys might lead him astray.
lead somebody by the nose
- (informal) to make somebody do everything you want; to control somebody completely
lead the charge
- to be the first to make the effort to do something new
- Denmark, Norway and Sweden are united in leading the charge to a cash-free economy.
lead somebody a (merry) dance
- (British English, informal) to cause somebody a lot of trouble or worry
lead from the front
- to take an active part in what you are telling or persuading others to do
lead/live the life of Riley
- (old-fashioned, informal, often disapproving) to live a happy and comfortable life with no problems or responsibilities
- The two crooks had been living the life of Riley.
- He planned to retire early and then lead the life of Riley.
lead (somebody) nowhere
- to have no successful result for somebody
- This discussion is leading us nowhere.
- Often there are discoveries which lead nowhere.
lead somebody up/down the garden path
- (informal) to make somebody believe something that is not true
one thing leads to another
- used to suggest that the way one event or action leads to others is so obvious that it does not need to be stated
- He offered me a ride home one night, and, well, one thing led to another and now we're married!
you can lead/take a horse to water, but you can’t make it drink
- (saying) you can give somebody the opportunity to do something, but you cannot force them to do it if they do not want to
Check pronunciation:
lead1