lead on

verb

To mislead, to try to make someone believe a lie.

“I thought she really loved me but really she was just leading me on.”

Similar
deceivedeludecozen
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Meanings

verblead on (third-person singular simple present leads on, present participle leading on, simple past and past participle led on)

present singular third person leads on · participle present leading on · participle past led on · past led on

  1. idiomatictransitiveTo mislead, to try to make someone believe a lie.

    "But when I fell into the mistake I have so long remained in, at least you led me on?" said I. / "Yes," she returned, again nodding steadily, "I let you go on."

    1860 December – 1861 August, Charles Dickens, chapter V, in Great Expectations […], volume III, London: Chapman and Hall, […], published October 1861, →OCLC, page 73
    1. idiomatictransitiveTo encourage the illusion of an intimate relationship, or to feign intentions of beginning one.

      I thought she really loved me but really she was just leading me on.

  2. Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see lead, on.

Synonyms & antonyms

verbbe false to; be dishonest with

Similar
deceivedeludecozen
Broader
victimizevictimise
Also see
blue-ballcozendeceivedeludedrillpoke borack

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Translations

Esperanto iluzii
  • iluziito mislead
Finnish houkutella
  • houkutellato encourage with the illusion of a romantic relationship
German falsche Hoffnungen machen
  • falsche Hoffnungen machento encourage with the illusion of a romantic relationship
Polish bajtlować, zbajtlować
  • bajtlowaćto mislead
  • zbajtlowaćto mislead
Portuguese iludir
  • iludirto encourage with the illusion of a romantic relationship
Russian водить за нос
  • водить за нос (voditʹ za nos)to encourage with the illusion of a romantic relationship
Cite this entry
APA

lead on. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lead%20on

MLA

“lead on.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lead%20on. Accessed November 3, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “lead on,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/lead%20on.

Source: lead on on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.