lead

highest in rank or authority the lead diplomat is responsible for making policy for the entire embassy Synonyms chief, commanding, first, foremost, high, head, leading, preeminent, premier, presiding, primary, prime, principal, supereminent, supreme, topRelated Words high-level, senior; controlling, directing, managing, officiating, overseeing, regnant, reigning, ruling, supervisory; main, major, paramount, predominant, predominate, sovereign (also sovran); ascendant (also ascendent), dominant, grand, superior, topmost, upmost, upper, uppermostNear Antonyms ancillary, inferior, last, less, lesser, lower, lowly, second, secondary, subordinate, subsidiary; assistant, assisting, coadjutor, deputy, junior, under

1 the person who has the most important role in a play, movie, or TV show the actor's career has really taken off since he became the lead in that prime-time drama Synonyms headliner, star, principalRelated Words leading lady, leading man; superstar; ingenue (or ingénue), starlet; star turn [chiefly British]; coprincipal, costarNear Antonyms extra, supernumerary

2 the space or amount of space between two points, lines, surfaces, or objects the runner maintained a lead of several meters all the way around the track Synonyms distance, length, remove, spacing, spread, stretch, wayRelated Words altitude, area, breadth, depth, height, rise, space, volume, width; extension, extent; cast, range, reach, scope, shot, sweep, throw; drop, fall, flight, haul; berth, clearance

3 a piece of advice or useful information especially from an expert my sister got a lead on the job opening from her neighbor, who is the human resources director for the company Synonyms hint, tip, pointerRelated Words advice, advisement, assistance, counsel, guidance, recommendation, suggestion; caution, cautioning, sign, signal, telltale, tip-off, warning; brief, direction, feedback, instruction, observation; prompt, reminder, urging; answer, clue, solution

4 a slight or indirect pointing to something (as a solution or explanation) the police are now working on several leads generated by the evidence gathered at the crime scene Synonyms clue, cue, indication, inkling, intimation, hint, suggestionRelated Words breath, flicker, glimmer, glimpse, mention, scent, whiff, wind; hunch, idea, inspiration, notion; allusion, implication, inference, innuendo, insinuation; denotation, evidence, guidepost, key, mark, overtone, pointer, sign, signal, telltale, token; assistance, nod, prompt, tip, tip-off, wink; feeling, foreboding, intuition, premonition, presentiment, suspicion; augury, foreshadower, foretaste, harbinger, omen, portent, prefigurement, presage, symptomNear Antonyms answer, solution

1 to point out the way for (someone) especially from a position in front an enthusiastic docent led our group through the art museum Synonyms conduct, direct, guide, marshal (also marshall), pilot, route, show, steer, usher Related Words precede; accompany, attend, chaperone (or chaperon), convoy, escort, see; control, manage Near Antonyms dog, hound, shadow, tail, tailgate Antonyms follow, trail

2 to serve as leader of a senior programmer is leading the team that is developing the new accounting software Synonyms boss, captain, command, head, spearhead Related Words control, dominate; direct, govern, handle, manage, oversee, regulate, run, superintend, supervise Near Antonyms bow (to), comply (with), defer (to), follow, obey, serve, submit (to), yield (to)

3 to be at the front of the local high school's marching band led the parade Synonyms head Related Words precede; announce, herald; accompany, attend, escort, usher Near Antonyms conclude, end, finish, stop, terminate; tail, tailgate; dog, follow, trail

4 to be positioned along a certain course or in a certain direction this old road leads to an abandoned quarry Synonyms bear, extend, go, head, run, lieRelated Words cross, cut, pass; course, follow, span, traverse

5 to give advice and instruction to (someone) regarding the course or process to be followed the salesclerk led us through the maze of options now available to television buyers Synonyms coach, counsel, guide, mentor, pilot, shepherd, show, tutorRelated Words godfather; direct, engineer, steer, sway; accompany, attend, chaperone (or chaperon), convoy, escort, see, squire; oversee, superintend, supervise; drill, train; brief, enlighten, inform; instruct, school, teach, tutor; inculcate, indoctrinate; cultivate, foster, nurture