lead

SayLEED/lid/UK/liːd/

Verbleads, leading, led

Noun pluralleads

Often confused with led

53 meanings of lead

Practice

1
causeverbintransitive
To cause something else to happen as a result.
Like one falling domino that knocks over the next.
Eating too much sugar can lead to health problems.
One small mistake led to a much bigger problem.
UsageSay lead to a problem: lead to debt.
Similarcause, result, produce
Note
2
head a groupverbtransitive
To be the person in charge of a group and tell or show others what to do.
Like a coach who decides the plan and tells the players what to do.
She was chosen to lead the small sales team.
He leads the rescue unit during emergencies.
UsageThe past is led: he led the team.
Similarhead, command, direct, run, manage
Oppositefollow
3
main (in rank)adjective
At the front, or the most important one in a group.
She is the lead singer in the band.
He wrote the lead story for today's paper.
UsageSay lead singer. Lead rhymes with need.
Similarchief, main, principal, top
4
show the wayverbtransitive
To go in front of or with someone or an animal to take them somewhere.
Like a tour guide walking in front so everyone knows where to go.
A guide will lead you through the dark caves.
She led the lost hikers back to the trail.
UsageSay lead someone to a place.
Similarguide, take, escort, conduct, steer
Oppositefollow
Note
5
nouncountable
The position of being in front, or how far ahead you are.
Like being a few steps ahead of a friend when you both run for the bus.
Our team has a big lead going into the last round.
She kept her lead until the very end of the race.
UsageSay in the lead for in front.
Similaradvantage, edge, margin, cushion
Oppositedeficit
Note
6
road goes toverbintransitive
To go toward a certain place or point in a certain direction.
Like a hallway that takes you to a room at its far end.
This path leads straight to the river.
Where does this road lead?
UsageSay a path leads to a place.
Similargo (entry), run, extend
Note
7
verbintransitive
To be in front of others in a race or contest.
Like being the first car in a race, with everyone trying to catch up.
Our runner led for most of the race.
If you lead early, save some energy for the finish.
UsageSay a team led by ten points.
Oppositetrail
Note
8
LED/lɛd/
metalnoununcountable
A soft, heavy gray metal that bends easily and was once used in pipes and paint.
Heavy like a fishing weight, because fishing weights are often made of it.
Old water pipes were often made of lead.
Fishing weights are often made of lead because it is heavy and cheap.
UsageIt sounds like bed: lead pipes.
Note
9
verbtransitive
To make someone do something or think something is true.
Like a magnet that slowly pulls a nail toward it.
Greed can lead people to make bad choices.
Her kindness led him to trust her completely.
UsageSay something led someone to do it.
Similarcause, prompt, induce, drive, persuade
Note
10
nouncountable or uncountable
The most important part in a play or film, or the person who acts it.
Like being the main character in a story instead of someone in the background.
She landed the lead in the school play.
Winning the lead meant months of rehearsal.
UsageSay play the lead in a play.
Note
11
guidancenouncountable
The act of guiding others, or the direction that someone gives.
Like following the footprints of someone walking ahead of you.
We followed her lead and finished the project on time.
The children followed their teacher's lead and sat quietly on the rug.
UsageSay follow her lead.
Similarguidance, direction
Note
12
sales prospectnouncountable or uncountable
A person who might buy something from a business.
Like a fish that has noticed your bait but has not yet bitten.
The sales team called every new lead this week.
A good ad can bring in hundreds of fresh leads.
UsageSay sales leads.
Similarprospect
Note
13
nouncountable or uncountable
A person who is in charge of a project or a work shift.
Like the captain of a small team.
Ask the lead before you change the schedule.
Our project lead approved the new plan.
UsageSay team lead or project lead.
Similarhead, manager, supervisor, chief
Note

Less common meanings

14
LED/lɛd/
pencil corenouncountable
The thin gray stick inside a pencil that you write with.
Like the ink inside a pen, but it is a thin gray stick instead of liquid.
My pencil lead snapped in the middle of the test.
My pencil lead broke, so I had to sharpen it again.
UsageSay pencil lead. It sounds like bed.
Note
15
liveverbtransitive
To live your life in a particular way.
Like the path you choose to walk through your whole life.
They lead a quiet life in the countryside.
He led a busy life full of travel.
UsageSay lead a quiet life.
Similarlive, have, pursue
Note
16
cluenouncountable or uncountable
A piece of information that helps police or a reporter find out more about a crime or story.
Like the first clue in a treasure hunt that points you to the next one.
The phone call gave detectives a fresh lead.
Police followed every lead until they found the thief.
UsagePolice follow a lead.
Similarclue, tip, trail, pointer
Note
17
noununcountable
The main tune or solo part in a piece of music, often sung or played on a guitar.
My brother sings lead in his school band.
In this song, the trumpet plays the lead while the others play softly behind it.
UsageSay sing lead. It sounds like need.
Similarmelody
Note
18
leashnouncountable or uncountable
A rope or strap used to hold and guide an animal as you walk it.
Like holding hands with a small child so they stay close to you.
Keep your dog on a lead near the road.
She clipped the lead to the puppy's collar.
UsageKeep a dog on a lead.
Similarleash, tether
Note
19
LED/lɛd/
bulletsnounslangcountable or uncountable
Bullets or ammunition fired from guns.
In the old western, the outlaw threatened to fill the sheriff full of lead.
He filled the target full of lead.
UsageSay bullets in normal writing.
Similarbullets, ammunition, ammo
Note
20
cablenounUKcountable
A covered wire that connects an electrical device to a power supply or to another device.
Like a small road that lets electricity travel from the wall to a machine.
Plug the lead into the wall before turning the kettle on.
The lamp's lead was too short to reach the socket.
Similarcable, cord, wire, flex
Note
21
nounUScountable or uncountable
The first paragraph of a news story, which gives the main facts.
Like the first bite of a meal that makes you want more.
The reporter rewrote the lead three times before the deadline.
A strong lead makes readers want to keep going.
UsageNewspaper people often write lede.
Similarintro, opening, introduction
Note
22
nouncountable or uncountable
The biggest news story of the day, put first in a paper or news show.
The fire downtown was the lead on the evening news.
The big game was the lead in this morning's paper.
UsageSay a story is the lead, or it leads the news.
Similarheadline
Note
23
baseballnouncountable or uncountable
In baseball, the distance a runner moves off a base before the pitch.
Like standing a few steps from a safe spot so you can run sooner.
The runner took a big lead off first base.
A short lead keeps you safe from a pickoff.
Note
24
play first (cards)verbtransitive
To start a game, round, or hand by playing a card or piece first.
Like putting down the first domino so the next player must match it.
She led the ace of spades to start the round.
Always lead your strongest card first.
Oppositefollow
Note
25
noununcountable
In card games and dominoes, the turn to play first, or the card or piece played first.
If you win this trick, you get the lead for the next one.
Her lead was the ace of spades, and everyone at the table groaned.
Note
26
noun
A lead weight on a rope, dropped into the sea to find how deep it is.
27
noun
A thin metal strip put between lines of printing type.
28
noun
The space between lines of text on a page.
29
noun
Flat sheets of the metal laid over a roof.
30
noun
A roof made with a metal skin of lead.
31
noun
Heavy clothing with lead inside that protects you during an X-ray.
32
verb
To put lead in or on something.
33
verb
In old printing, to put thin metal strips between lines of type to space them out.
34
verb
To be ahead of other companies in business or technology.
35
verb
In baseball, to move a little off your base before the pitch.
36
verb
To aim a little in front of something that is moving.
37
verb
In climbing, to go up first, clipping your rope to safety points as you climb.
38
noun
A long crack in sea ice where the water shows.
39
noun
A line of ore found in rock.
40
noun
The way a rope runs on a ship from one end to the other.
41
noun
How far a steam engine's valve is open when the piston reaches the end of its travel.
42
noun
How far dirt has to be carried in building work.
43
noun
The way one gear tooth pushes another.
44
noun
A possible explanation that nobody has looked into yet.
45
noun
In curling, the team member who delivers the first two stones of each round.
46
noun
How far a screw moves forward in one full turn.
47
noun
In barbershop music, the one carrying the tune.
48
noun
When one voice sings a tune first and the others repeat it.
49
noun
A mark or short tune that tells other singers when to start.
50
noun
The main synthesizer sound that plays the tune in a song.
51
noun
The extra angle, above ninety degrees, between neighboring cranks on one engine shaft.
52
noun
How far the brushes of a dynamo are turned from the middle of the poles.
53
noun
How far the current gets ahead of the voltage in an AC circuit.

Practice

Can you tell the meanings of lead apart? Answer 3 quick questions from this page, or write your own sentence and AI will check it.

Origins

Meanings 8, 14, 17, 19

From Old English lēad, meaning "lead" (the metal). It may have been borrowed from an old Celtic word.

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 2 facts

The metal name comes from Old English lēad, meaning lead. en.wiktionary.org
The word may ultimately derive from a Celtic borrowing. en.wiktionary.org

Meanings 1–7, 9–13, 15–16, 18, 20–25

From Old English lǣdan, meaning "to lead." It came from an older word meaning "to cause one to go."

Checked 1 Nov 2026 · 3 facts

Lead derives from Old English lǣdan. en.wiktionary.org
Old English lǣdan meant "to lead". en.wiktionary.org
The older ancestral word meant "to cause one to go". en.wiktionary.org