Definition

Phrasal Verb: - To deceive someone, especially by encouraging false hopes or beliefs: To intentionally mislead or trick a person, often by making promises or suggestions that are not sincere or will not be fulfilled. - To entice or persuade someone into doing something, often unwise or mistaken: To encourage or lure someone to proceed with an action or belief, typically one that is not in their best interest.

Usage and Examples

• Deceiving someone:

  • He didn't love her; he was just leading her on. (He was deceiving her about his true feelings.)
  • The salesman led us on with promises of huge discounts. (The salesman tricked us with false promises.)

• Enticing someone into an unwise action:

  • Her flattery led him on to invest in the risky scheme. (Her compliments persuaded him to make the bad investment.)
  • Don't be led on by their smooth talk. (Do not be persuaded by their convincing but misleading words.)

Advanced Usage and Nuances

• The phrasal verb often implies a continuous or prolonged act of deception, not just a single lie.
• It frequently carries a strong negative connotation of manipulation and exploitation of trust.
• Grammatical Note: It is a separable phrasal verb. The object (the person being deceived) can often come between "lead" and "on."
  • He led the investors on with false data. (This is more common.)
  • He led on the investors with false data. (This is also correct.)

Variants and Related Words

• Lead (verb): To guide or direct. "Lead on" is a specific phrasal form with a distinct meaning of deception.
• Mislead (verb): To cause someone to have a wrong idea or impression. This is a close synonym but is a single word, not a phrasal verb.
• String along (phrasal verb): To deceive someone over a period of time, especially in a relationship. Very similar to "lead on."

Synonyms

• Deceive: To cause someone to believe something that is not true.
• Mislead: To guide someone in the wrong direction or give them a false idea.
• Delude: To impose a misleading belief upon someone.
• Entice: To attract or tempt, which is a key component of "leading someone on."

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Lead up to: To precede or prepare the way for an event.
  • The negotiations led up to the final agreement. (This has no deceptive meaning.)
• Lead off: To begin or start something.
  • She will lead off the discussion. (This has no deceptive meaning.)

Related Idioms

• Lead someone down the garden path: To deceive or mislead someone. This idiom is very close in meaning to "lead someone on."
  • He led her down the garden path with promises of marriage.
• Lead someone a merry dance: (Chiefly British) To cause someone a lot of trouble or difficulty, often by being deceptive or elusive.
  • The suspect led the police a merry dance before being caught.

Verb

1. be false to; be dishonest with
2. entice or induce especially when unwise or mistaken