lead
/led/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
Noun:
- A position of advantage or first place: The state of being ahead of others in a competition or race.
- The initiative or guiding role: The act of being in charge or showing the way for others to follow.
- A clue or piece of information: Evidence or indication that guides toward a discovery or solution.
- The principal role in a play or film: The most important part or the actor playing it.
- A soft, heavy, bluish-gray metallic element (symbol Pb): A dense, malleable, toxic metal used in various applications.
- A wire or cable for electrical connection: A conductor used to connect electrical devices.
- The introductory section of a news story: The opening sentences designed to capture attention.
Verb (led, led):
- To guide or show the way: To go in front of or alongside someone to show them the route.
- To be in charge or command: To direct and control an organization, group, or activity.
- To cause or result in: To be a primary factor in bringing about a particular outcome or situation.
- To have the first place or advantage: To be ahead in a race, competition, or sequence.
- To live or experience a particular kind of life: To pass one's life in a specified manner.
Examples of Usage
Noun:
- She held a comfortable lead in the marathon. (She was significantly ahead of the other runners.)
- The detective followed a promising lead in the case. (The detective pursued a clue that might solve the case.)
- He played the lead in the school production. (He had the main role in the school play.)
- The pipe was made of lead. (The pipe was constructed from the metallic element lead.)
Verb:
- The guide will lead us through the forest. (The guide will show us the way through the forest.)
- She leads a team of talented engineers. (She is in charge of a team of engineers.)
- His careless actions could lead to an accident. (His actions could cause an accident to happen.)
- This road leads to the beach. (This road goes to and ends at the beach.)
Advanced Usage
- "To lead someone on": To encourage someone's romantic interest or hopes insincerely or deceptively.
- He didn't like her; he was just leading her on.
- "To lead the way": To be the first to do something or to show others how to do it.
- Our company aims to lead the way in renewable energy.
- "To lead by example": To teach others how to act by behaving well yourself.
- A good manager should lead by example.
Variants and Related Words
- Leader (n): A person who leads or commands a group.
- Leadership (n): The action of leading a group or the ability to do so.
- Leading (adj): Most important or in first place (e.g., , ).
- Leaden (adj): Made of lead; dull, heavy, or slow (e.g., , ).
- Lead-in (n): An introduction or opening.
Synonyms
- Guide (v): To show the way.
- Direct (v): To manage or be in charge of.
- Head (v): To be at the front or in charge.
- Clue (n): A piece of evidence.
- Advantage (n): A favorable position.
Related Phrasal Verbs
- Lead up to (something): To precede and prepare for an event; to gradually approach a topic.
- The events leading up to the war were complex.
- He was nervous as he led up to his big announcement.
- Lead off (with something): To begin something.
- She led off the meeting with a safety briefing.
- Lead into (something): To serve as an introduction or transition to something else.
- The first chapter leads into the main conflict of the story.
Related Idioms
- Take the lead: To assume a position of leadership or initiative.
- Someone needs to take the lead on this project.
- Follow someone's lead: To do as someone else does; to follow their example.
- If you're unsure, just follow my lead.
- Go down like a lead balloon: To be received very badly or with complete disapproval.
- His joke about the boss went down like a lead balloon.
Noun
- the playing of a card to start a trick in bridge
- the lead was in the dummy
- a jumper that consists of a short piece of wire
- it was a tangle of jumper cables and clip leads
- mixture of graphite with clay in different degrees of hardness; the marking substance in a pencil
- thin strip of metal used to separate lines of type in printing
- restraint consisting of a rope (or light chain) used to restrain an animal
- the timing of ignition relative to the position of the piston in an internal-combustion engine
- a news story of major importance
- an indication of potential opportunity
- he got a tip on the stock market
- a good lead for a job
- (baseball) the position taken by a base runner preparing to advance to the next base
- he took a long lead off first
- an actor who plays a principal role
- (sports) the score by which a team or individual is winning
- the introductory section of a story
- it was an amusing lead-in to a very serious matter
- the angle between the direction a gun is aimed and the position of a moving target (correcting for the flight time of the missile)
- a position of leadership (especially in the phrase `take the lead')
- he takes the lead in any group
- we were just waiting for someone to take the lead
- they didn't follow our lead
- evidence pointing to a possible solution
- the police are following a promising lead
- the trail led straight to the perpetrator
- a soft heavy toxic malleable metallic element; bluish white when freshly cut but tarnishes readily to dull grey
- the children were playing with lead soldiers
- an advantage held by a competitor in a race
- he took the lead at the last turn
Verb
- preside over
- John moderated the discussion
- cause something to pass or lead somewhere
- Run the wire behind the cabinet
- move ahead (of others) in time or space
- lead, extend, or afford access
- This door goes to the basement
- The road runs South
- lead, as in the performance of a composition; Barenboim conducted the Chicago symphony for years"
- conduct an orchestra
- be conducive to
- The use of computers in the classroom lead to better writing
- be ahead of others; be the first
- she topped her class every year
- be in charge of
- Who is heading this project?
- stretch out over a distance, space, time, or scope; run or extend between two points or beyond a certain point
- Service runs all the way to Cranbury
- His knowledge doesn't go very far
- My memory extends back to my fourth year of life
- The facts extend beyond a consideration of her personal assets
- cause to undertake a certain action
- Her greed led her to forge the checks
- travel in front of; go in advance of others
- The procession was headed by John
- tend to or result in
- This remark lead to further arguments among the guests
- have as a result or residue
- The water left a mark on the silk dress
- Her blood left a stain on the napkin
- take somebody somewhere
- We lead him to our chief
- can you take me to the main entrance?
- He conducted us to the palace