English Lexicon

Misleading

/mɪsˈliː.dɪŋ/
adjectiveCEFR B2 (Upper)Top #3400 frequency
Full Thesaurus

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As adjective
  1. 1

    Causing someone to believe something that is not true.

    "The advertisement was misleading, making the product seem more effective than it actually was."
  2. 2

    Intended to deceive or create a false impression.

    "His misleading statements during the interview raised suspicions."

Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

Derived from the Middle English verb 'misleoden', combining the pejorative prefix 'mis-' (meaning wrongly or badly) with 'leden' (to lead or guide). Over centuries, the term evolved from physical misdirection to abstract cognitive deception, describing information designed to give a false impression.

Quick Vocabulary Retention Check

Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Misleading"?

Thesaurus & Synonyms Graph

Explore Nuanced Synonyms for "Misleading"

Discover exact matches, context-specific alternatives, and antonyms with intensity ratings in the VocabDictionary Thesaurus.

View "Misleading" Synonym Map