mislead, v.
(mɪsˈliːd)
Pa. tense and pa. pple. misled.
[OE. mislǽdan = MLG., MDu., Du. misleiden, OHG. misseleiten (G. missleiten), Sw. missleda, Da. mislede: see mis-1 1 +lead v.1]
1. trans. To lead astray in action or conduct; to lead into error; to cause to err.
| c 1015 ælfric Past. Ep. xlvi. in Thorpe Laws (1840) II. 384 Gif he..leornian nele, ac mislæt his hyrmen. a 1300 Cursor M. 28264 Mi spussed wyfe i haue misledd bath in burdyng and in bedde. 1422 tr. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv. 142 He dothe many thyngis..wherof Some byth damagid, Some byth myslade. 1594 T. B. La Primaud. Fr. Acad. ii. 255 When the affection of the heart..is misled and deceiued by humane reason. 1603 Florio Montaigne i. xix, Let not pleasure so much mislead or transport us, that we..forget, how many waies, our joyes,..be subject unto death. 1671 Milton P.R. i. 226 The erring Soul Not wilfully mis-doing, but unware Misled. 1736 Butler Anal. i. iv. Wks. 1874 I. 78 Men are misled by external circumstances of temptation. 1781 Cowper Retirem. 126 The roving eye misleads the careless heart. 1814 Scott Ld. of Isles iii. v, Though by ambition far misled, Thou art a noble knight. 1856 Sir B. Brodie Psychol. Inq. I. iii. 98 Juries have..been misled by the refinements of medical witnesses. |
| absol. 1625 Bacon Ess., Friendship (Arb.) 179 Scattered Counsels..will rather distract, and Misleade, then Settle, and Direct. 1671 Milton P.R. iv. 309 What can they teach, and not mislead? 1861 H. Law Beacons of Bible, Lamech 10 Patience, the gentle guide to penitence, misleads to hard indifference. |
b. refl. To misbehave, misconduct oneself.
| c 1374 Chaucer Troylus iv. 48 The folk of Troye hemselven so misledden, That with the worse at night homward they fledden. 1390 Gower Conf. III. 236 How thei for love hemself mislede. |
† c. ? To adduce wrongly.
Obs.| 1654 Gataker Disc. Apol. 80 Manie Papists have misled Scripture in their..labouring to prov the single life of the Priests to be of Divine Command. |
† 2. To mismanage.
Obs.| 1390 Gower Conf. III. 141 And his astat..In such manere forto lede, That he his houshold ne mislede. 1494 Fabyan Chron. vii. 502 To..make serche of certayne thynges than myslad and euyll gyded within the realme. |
3. In physical sense (or
fig.): To lead or guide in the wrong direction.
| 1575 Fenton Gold. Epist. (1582) 16 Others supposing themselues to be misse-led and gone astray, are notwithstanding in the high way to their felicitie. 1590 Shakes. Mids. N. ii. i. 39 Are you not hee, That..misleade night-wanderers? 1635–56 Cowley Davideis i. Wks. 1710 I. 309 An Angel whose..Might Put by the Weapon, and mis-led it right. 1667 Milton P.L. ix. 640 A Flame Which..Misleads th' amaz'd Night-wanderer from his way. 1837 Lytton E. Maltrav. 5 The lights have rather misled me. |
Hence
misˈleadable a., capable of being misled.
| 1836 For. Q. Rev. XVII. 122 This last most misleadable, if not most leadable, age. |