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Glite Dictionary
to lead by the nose

to lead by the nose

3 7.7
Make someone do what you want without them noticing
  • idiom
  • Informal
translation icon : llevar de la nariz
  • I've led you by the nose from comment number one in this chain.
  • led around by the nose

And I resist in documentaries when there is a narrator leading us by the nose telling us what sense to make of this.

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Examples

  • The American people are being led by the nose by people who say this isn't important.

    Blog text (23)

  • But then I'm presented with this feeling that maybe those who can't separate truth from fiction and have been led around by the nose just don't know any better.

    Blog text (4)

  • My dear girl, these boys are leading you by the nose.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • We're gonna lead Albert by the nose to one conclusion.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • Throw off the tyranny of the minority that has been leading you around by the nose!

    Blog text (4)

  • The average person seems to have a craven desire to be led around by the nose by gurus, the state, etc.

    Blog text (23)

  • And so if they want to continue to lead you around by the nose just because they enjoy that, that's what they're going to do during a deal, right?

    Ryan Pineda

  • The manipulative salesman led her by the nose, making her choose products she didn't need.

  • The politician seemed to lead the entire country by the nose, influencing their opinions with clever rhetoric.

  • He was so in love that she led him by the nose, effortlessly making him agree to all her plans.

Synonyms

to brainwash
vsto lead by the nose
118 7.3

To make someone accept different beliefs using pressure and tricks

uses general manipulation to control actions rather than change core beliefs
to wrap around one's little finger
vsto lead by the nose
  • Informal
3 8.1

To make someone do what you want by charming them

uses hidden manipulation to control someone without their awareness
to have someone by the balls
vsto lead by the nose
  • Offensive
3 9.9

To have complete power over someone by controlling what they need or fear

uses subtle manipulation to make people obey without noticing
to bend someone's will
vsto lead by the nose
7.1

Persuade someone to do what you want

uses deeper control to make someone comply fully rather than just change opinion

Antonyms

free
∞ 1.0

Able to act as you want without limits

to empower
157 4.2

Give someone the power and confidence to do something

How Controlled

to lead by the nose
  • Informal
3 7.7
to control
∞ 2.4
to manipulate
382 6.1
influence
806 2.3
to persuade
472 2.7

Surface Forms

lead by the nose infinitive
leading by the nose present participle
leads by the nose third person singular
led by the nose past
led by the nose past participle

Morphology

lead + by + the + nose

The sense 'to control or manipulate someone' is a clear metaphorical extension of the literal image of physically leading someone by their nose (as you would an animal). Because the connection between 'lead' (guide) and 'nose' (body part used in the image) is readily inferable and many languages use a similar metaphor, a B1 learner who knows the constituents can often guess the meaning, but it remains an idiomatic metaphor rather than fully compositional.

Etymology

The idiom lead by the nose comes from the image of guiding a strong animal by a ring in its nose, so one person can control it easily. So, it now means 'to control someone completely or make them do what you want'.