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to lead astray

to lead astray

20 5.5
To make someone go the wrong way, behave badly, or believe things that are not true
  • phrasal verb
  • /liːd əˈstreɪ/
translation icon : llevar por mal camino
  • Ambition might be "productive of more good than evil," but it might also lead a man astray.
  • led so many astray

And when that happens, we get LED astray very, very quickly.

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Examples

  • - If you do fall in with them, they will certainly lead you astray.

  • O my people, your guides lead you astray; they turn you from the path.

    Blog text (23)
  • So beauty often leads us astray from the good.

  • Someone has been led astray, involved in something without their knowledge.

  • And here he is again, leading more innocent children astray.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • Most of these characters were led astray by their good intentions.

    Academic text (2013)
  • This temptation leads you astray.

  • He must not allow himself to be led astray, not even by you, my son.

  • Distraction or engagement in mindless activities will lead us astray, very often on a wild goose chase.

    Academic text (2011)
  • Be careful not to let anyone lead you astray with bad advice.

Synonyms

to mislead
vsto lead astray
87 3.9

Make someone believe something that is not true

also causes people to act wrongly or behave badly, not only form false beliefs
to misdirect
vsto lead astray
5 6.0

To send someone the wrong way or give wrong directions

also covers causing people to act badly or make poor moral choices
to subvert
vsto lead astray
3 8.4

To make someone behave in a morally wrong way

can also mean causing wrong choices or wrong guidance rather than moral corruption
to misguide
vsto lead astray
1 4.3

To give someone wrong advice or directions that lead them to make mistakes

also covers causing immoral actions or false beliefs beyond wrong advice

Antonyms

313 1.0

To show someone the way by going with them

55 4.8

To give someone clear information to help them understand something

How Misled

to corrupt
125 4.5
to lead astray
20 5.5
to delude
48 6.3
to deceive
270 3.9
to mislead
87 3.9

Surface Forms

lead astray infinitive
leading astray present participle
leads astray third person singular
led astray past
led astray past participle

Morphology

lead + astray

The meaning is directly and predictably built from 'lead' (to guide) plus 'astray' (off the intended path / going the wrong way), so a learner who knows both words can infer causing someone to go the wrong way or be misled. This verb + adverbial composition is a common, compositional pattern in English (and mirrored in many languages), making the expression transparent to B1 learners.

Etymology

Lead astray comes from a simple picture: someone who leads another off the right road so they are astray (lost). So it means 'to cause someone to go the wrong way or be misled'.