lead

1 of 5

verb (1)

ˈlēd

led ˈled

; leading

Synonyms of lead next

transitive verb

: to guide on a way especially by going in advance

led the officers to his hiding place

: to direct on a course or in a direction

a road leading the traveler to the heart of the city

: to serve as a channel for

a pipe leads water to the house

: to go through : live

lead a quiet life

a(1)

: to direct the operations, activity, or performance of

lead an orchestra

(2)

: to have charge of

lead a campaign

(3)

: to suggest to (a witness) the answer desired by asking leading questions

counsel is leading this witness, putting words in her mouth—

Erle Stanley Gardner

b(1)

: to go at the head of

lead a parade

(2)

: to be first in or among

lead the league

(3)

: to have a margin over

led his opponent

: to bring to some conclusion or condition

led to believe otherwise

: to begin play with

lead trumps

: to aim in front of (a moving object)

lead a duck

: to pass a ball or puck just in front of (a moving teammate)

intransitive verb

: to guide someone or something along a way

You lead and we'll follow.

: to lie, run, or open in a specified place or direction

path leads uphill

: to guide a dance partner through the steps of a dance

: to be first

This state leads in population.

b(1)

: begin, open

will lead off with a Christmas story—

Richard Bissell

(2)

: to play the first card of a trick, round, or game

: to tend toward or have a result

study leading to a degree

: to direct the first of a series of blows at an opponent in boxing

lead

2 of 5

noun (1)

ˈlēd

a(1)

: leadership

look to the president for a unifying lead—

D. W. Brogan

(2)

: example, precedent

followed the lead of the majority leader in voting

b(1)

: position at the front : vanguard

The runner from Kenya was in the lead for most of the race.

(2)

: initiative

took the lead in fighting the measure

(3)

: the act or privilege of playing first in a card game

Your partner has the lead.

also : the card or suit played first

His lead was the ace.

: a margin or measure of advantage or superiority or position in advance

enjoys a good lead over all competitors

: one that leads: such as

: lode sense 2

: a channel of water especially through a field of ice

: indication, clue

The detectives had a few leads to follow.

: a principal role in a dramatic production

She was the romantic lead in the movie.

also : one who plays such a role

: leash sense 1

train a dog to walk on a lead

f(1)

: an introductory section of a news story : lede

edit the lead to grab the reader's attention

(2)

: a news story of chief importance

The story of his arrest was the lead in newspapers across the country.

: an insulated electrical conductor connected to an electrical device

: the course of a rope from end to end

: the amount of axial (see axial sense 2a) advance of a point accompanying a complete turn of a thread (as of a screw or worm)

: a position taken by a base runner off a base toward the next

The runner on first took a big lead.

: the first punch of a series or an exchange of punches in boxing

lead

3 of 5

adjective

ˈlēd

: acting or serving as a lead (see lead entry 2) or leader

a lead article

lead

4 of 5

noun (2)

ˈled

: a soft, heavy, metallic element with atomic number 82 found mostly in combination and used especially in alloys, batteries, and shields against sound, vibration, or radiation

—often used before another noun

lead pipes

This capsule was sealed in a tungsten wheel the size of a tricycle tire, which was then placed behind thick lead shielding.—

Sandra Blakeslee

see Chemical Elements Table

: a plummet for sounding at sea

leads plural, British : a usually flat lead roof

leads plural : lead framing for panes in windows

: a thin strip of metal used to separate lines of type in printing

: a thin stick of marking substance (such as graphite) in or for a pencil

: white lead

: bullets, projectiles

: tetraethyl lead

lead

5 of 5

verb (2)

ˈled

leaded; leading; leads

transitive verb

: to cover, line, or weight with lead (see lead entry 4)

: to fix (window glass) in position with leads

: to put space between the lines of (typeset matter)

: to treat or mix with lead or a lead compound

leaded gasoline

Phrases

lead one down the garden path or less commonly lead one up the garden path

: hoodwink, deceive

I'd rather he be disappointed with the truth rather than lead him down the garden path—

Harold Robbins

Did you know?

When to Use Lead or Led

There is some persistent confusion about lead and led. Or, we should say, there is confusion about the leads and led. Lead is both a noun and a verb, as most people know. There are several unrelated nouns spelled lead: one most commonly refers to a metal (as in, "The paint was made with lead"), and the other most commonly refers to a position of advantage (as in, "Our team was in the lead"). The verb lead is pronounced /LEED/, with a long e; the noun that refers to a position or advantage is also pronounced /LEED/, with a long e; the noun that refers to the metal, however, is pronounced /LED/, with a short e. To this moderately convoluted situation, add the past tense and past participle of the verb lead, which is led and pronounced like the metal noun lead with a short e. The homophonic confusion leads to homographic confusion, and you will therefore occasionally see lead in constructions where led is called for (as in, “She lead the ducklings to safety” instead of “She led the ducklings to safety”). The correct past and past participle of lead is spelled led. If you aren’t sure whether to use led or lead as the verb in your sentence, try reading it aloud to yourself. If the verb is pronounced /LED/, use led.

Choose the Right Synonym for lead

guide, lead, steer, pilot, engineer mean to direct in a course or show the way to be followed.

guide implies intimate knowledge of the way and of all its difficulties and dangers.

guided the scouts through the cave

lead implies showing the way and often keeping those that follow under control and in order.

led his team to victory

steer implies an ability to keep to a course and stresses the capacity of maneuvering correctly.

steered the ship through a narrow channel

pilot suggests guidance over a dangerous or complicated course.

piloted the bill through the Senate

engineer implies finding ways to avoid or overcome difficulties in achieving an end or carrying out a plan.

engineered his son's election to the governorship

Examples of lead in a Sentence

Adjective the lead diplomat is responsible for making policy for the entire embassy

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Results of the lead sampling would have to be publicly available online. —

Dorany Pineda, Los Angeles Times, 16 Sep. 2023 The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists is the lead professional organization for OB-GYNs in the U.S. —

Adriana Gallardo, The Salt Lake Tribune, 15 Sep. 2023 Because of where the body was found, which just over the line into unincorporated Jefferson County, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office became the lead investigative agency in the murder. —

Carol Robinson | Crobinson@al.com, al, 14 Sep. 2023 The lead attorney, Creighton Waters, pointed at Satterfield's family members who sat in the front row. —

Erik Ortiz, NBC News, 14 Sep. 2023 One notable difference in the most recent study was the diversity of participants, said Jennifer Mitchell, a neuroscientist at the University of California San Francisco and the lead author of both studies. —

Rachel Nuwer, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2023 Goldman is also lead book runner on the Instacart and Klaviyo IPOs, which are scheduled to trade next week. —

Luisa Beltran, Fortune, 14 Sep. 2023 After five years as one of the state’s lead budget writers, Sen. Elizabeth Steiner wants to manage Oregon’s finances. —

Julia Shumway, oregonlive, 13 Sep. 2023 Jonathan Flowers, a senior engineer for Robinson Engineering, said the project aims to help University Park with its lead issue. —

Alexandra Kukulka, Chicago Tribune, 13 Sep. 2023

Noun

With 9:34 left in the third quarter, the Cardinals had a 28-7 lead. —

Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 18 Sep. 2023 Cowboys respond, pad lead before half The Cowboys offense responded to the Jets’ quick strike, with a little help from some key penalties against the NY defense. —

Sportsday Staff, Dallas News, 17 Sep. 2023 At the same time, failure to adapt and lead could hurt the coffee giant in customers’ eyes. —

Peter Prengaman, Anchorage Daily News, 17 Sep. 2023 The Wave dominated the second half and created several decent opportunities after rookie Sierra Enge’s second goal of the season cut the lead in the 50th minute. —

Tom Krasovic, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Sep. 2023 That head-to-head record is used as the tiebreaker, so Baltimore’s one-game lead over Tampa Bay (92-58) is effectively two. —

Jacob Calvin Meyer, Baltimore Sun, 17 Sep. 2023 The situation is almost the opposite of the Republican field, where Trump holds a commanding lead among the party’s base but remains far less beloved by a political class that fears his unpopularity among moderate and swing voters will lead to defeat in 2024. —

Lisa Lerer, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Sep. 2023 Backup Collin Schlee ran for a 57-yard touchdown on his first play and was in the game for only four drives. Sept. 16, 2023 Third-stringer Ethan Garbers completed a 13-yard pass on his first play, helping the Bruins roll up a 45-point halftime lead. —

Ben Bolch, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2023 Both lead and cadmium cause long-term damage to the body. —

Kaitlin Sullivan, Health, 16 Sep. 2023

Verb

Netflix has become the leading premium video streaming platform in Korea, thanks to its huge investment in local content. —

Patrick Frater, Variety, 18 Sep. 2023 Sheinbaum leads in the presidential race, according to polls. —

David Agren, Washington Post, 7 Sep. 2023 Critics accuse him of leading the country down down a path of authoritarian rule. —

Patrick J. McDonnell, Los Angeles Times, 7 Sep. 2023 Latrice Royale joins fellow drag artists Priyanka, Sasha Velour and Jaida Essence Hall in leading the new season. —

Mckinley Franklin, Variety, 6 Sep. 2023 Alaska sports fans will see a familiar face leading the Utes against the Division II Seawolves. —

Josh Reed, Anchorage Daily News, 6 Sep. 2023 Two bonus points go to the driver who leads the most laps. —

Nathan Brown, The Indianapolis Star, 26 Aug. 2023 The boathouse is accessible from this level and leads directly to the dock. —

Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 25 Aug. 2023 So neurodivergent basically refers to people who are autistic, dyslexic, may have high anxiety, ADHD, basically having conditions that often lead you to communicate or think or behave differently than a lot of other people. —

Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 25 Aug. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'lead.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb (1), Noun (1), and Adjective

Middle English leden, from Old English lǣdan; akin to Old High German leiten to lead, Old English līthan to go

Noun (2) and Verb (2)

Middle English leed, from Old English lēad; akin to Middle High German lōt lead

First Known Use

Verb (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun (1)

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

Adjective

1828, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb (2)

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of lead was before the 12th century

See more words from the same century

Phrases Containing lead

Articles Related to lead

a cube of pure lead metal against a white background

Led vs. Lead

7 Phrases That Are Just So Metal

Some of these phrases have magnetism.

Why Do We 'Bury the Lede?'

We buried 'lead' so far down that we forgot how to spell it

Cite this Entry

Style

“Lead.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/lead. Accessed 27 Sep. 2023.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

lead

1 of 5 verb

ˈlēd

led ˈled

; leading

ˈlēd-iŋ

: to guide especially by going in advance : conduct

: to direct on a course or in a direction

: to serve as a channel for

: to lie, go, or open in a specified direction

the path leads uphill

study leading to a degree

: to go through : live

lead a quiet life

: to direct the activity of : manage, direct

lead an orchestra

lead a campaign

: to be first or best in

lead the league

also : begin sense 1, open

: to be ahead of

led their opponents by 20 points at the end of the third quarter

lead

2 of 5 noun

: position at the front : leadership

: example sense 1, precedent

: an amount or distance ahead

: indication sense 2, clue

: a principal role in a play

also : one who plays such a role

: a beginning section of a news story

also : a news story of chief importance

: the first in a series

also : the right to be first

: an insulated electrical conductor

: a position taken by a base runner off a base toward the next

lead

3 of 5 adjective

: acting or serving as a lead or leader

lead guitarist

lead

4 of 5 noun

ˈled

: a soft bluish white heavy metallic element that is found mostly in combination with other elements, is easily shaped, and is used especially in pipes, cable coverings, batteries, solder, and radiation shields see element

: a mass of lead used on a line for finding the depth of water (as in the ocean)

plural : lead framing for glass (as in windows)

: a thin stick of marking substance (as graphite) in or for a pencil

: bullets in quantity

: tetraethyl lead

lead

5 of 5 verb

ˈled

leaded; leading

: to cover, line, or weight with lead

: to fix (window glass) in position with lead

: to treat or mix with lead or a lead compound

leaded gasoline

Etymology

Verb

Old English lǣdan "to lead"

Noun

Old English lēad "the metal lead"

Medical Definition

lead

1 of 2 noun

ˈlēd

: a flexible or solid insulated conductor connected to or leading out from an electrical device (as an electroencephalograph)

lead

2 of 2 noun

ˈled

often attributive

: a heavy soft malleable ductile plastic but inelastic bluish white metallic element found mostly in combination and used especially in pipes, cable sheaths, batteries, solder, and shields against radioactivity

—symbol Pb see Chemical Elements Table

: white lead

: tetraethyl lead

Legal Definition

lead

1 of 2 transitive verb

led; leading

: to suggest the desired answer to (a witness) by asking leading questions

lead

2 of 2 noun

: something serving as a tip, indication, or clue

the police have only one lead in the murder investigation

Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.

Can you solve 4 words at once?

Word of the Day

nepotism

See Definitions and Examples »

Get Word of the Day daily email!

lead

verb (1)

noun (1)

adjective

noun (2)

verb (2)

Did you know?

Synonyms

Examples of lead in a Sentence

Word History

Dictionary Entries Near lead

Cite this Entry

Kids Definition

Medical Definition

Legal Definition