{
    "term": "lead",
    "partOfSpeech": "verb",
    "ox3000": true,
    "cefr": "a2",
    "verbForms": {
        "presentSimple": {
            "iYouWeThey": "lead",
            "heSheIt": "leads"
        },
        "pastSimple": "led",
        "pastParticiple": "led",
        "ingForm": "leading"
    },
    "definitions": [
        {
            "senseNumber": 1,
            "definition": "to go with or in front of a person or an animal to show the way or to make them go in the right direction",
            "sensetop": "lead somebody/something + adv./prep.",
            "labels": "(figurative)",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "If you lead, I'll follow."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He led us out into the grounds.",
                    "contextForm": "lead somebody/something + adv./prep."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The receptionist **led the way** to the boardroom."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She led the horse back into the stable."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The robbers led police on a high-speed chase through the city."
                },
                {
                    "text": "I tried to lead the discussion back to the main issue."
                },
                {
                    "text": "‘Lead on!’ said Arnold."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Firefighters led the survivors to safety."
                },
                {
                    "text": "You lead the way and we'll follow."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Five people helping to lead a convoy of aid are feared dead."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Let me lead the way."
                },
                {
                    "text": "She led them along a dark corridor to a small room."
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "guide",
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["away", "back", "on"],
                "verb + lead": ["help (to)", "allow somebody to", "let somebody"],
                "preposition": ["along", "down", "into"],
                "phrases": ["lead the way"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 2,
            "definition": "to connect one object or place to another",
            "sensetop": "lead from something to somethinglead from somethinglead to something",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "steps leading from the kitchen to the cellar",
                    "contextForm": "lead from something to something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Disconnect the pipe leading from the top of the water tank.",
                    "contextForm": "lead from something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The wire led to a speaker.",
                    "contextForm": "lead to something"
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["directly", "back", "down"],
                "preposition": ["from", "onto", "to"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 3,
            "definition": "to go in a particular direction or to a particular place",
            "sensetop": "+ adv./prep.lead somebody + adv./prep.",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "A path led down the hill.",
                    "contextForm": "+ adv./prep."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The road led away from the house directly to the lake."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Which door leads to the yard?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The corridor led into a spacious living room."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The track led us through a wood.",
                    "contextForm": "lead somebody + adv./prep."
                },
                {
                    "text": "a path leading from the village to the old church"
                },
                {
                    "text": "An old track led back through the wood."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The glass doors lead out onto a rooftop garden."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The gardens lead directly onto a beach."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["directly", "back", "down"],
                "preposition": ["from", "onto", "to"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 4,
            "definition": "to have something as a result",
            "sensetop": "lead to something",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The carbon tax will inevitably **lead to an increase** in energy bills."
                },
                {
                    "text": "the events that **eventually led** to war"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The fire ant's painful sting can **ultimately lead** to death for some people."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Eating too much sugar can lead to health problems."
                },
                {
                    "text": "A reward was offered for information leading to an arrest."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Business success does not automatically lead to financial success."
                },
                {
                    "text": "These measures in turn led to an increased opportunity for independent music production."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Worrying about your weight is more likely to lead to low self-esteem."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Such actions would most likely lead to the decline of rural communities."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Sugar and fat can easily lead to obesity."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Industrialization inevitably led to the expansion of the urban working class."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Discussion of a client's tax affairs will lead naturally to consideration of investment options."
                }
            ],
            "synonyms": "result in",
            "topics": ["Change, cause and effect"],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["normally", "usually", "inevitably"],
                "verb + lead": ["can", "may", "might"],
                "preposition": ["to"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 5,
            "definition": "to be the reason why somebody does or thinks something",
            "sensetop": "lead somebody (to something)lead somebody to do something",
            "cefr": "b1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "What **led** you **to this conclusion**?",
                    "contextForm": "lead somebody (to something)"
                },
                {
                    "text": "He's too **easily led** *(= easily persuaded to do or think something)*."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Circumstances **eventually led** her to train as a doctor.",
                    "contextForm": "lead somebody to do something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The situation is far worse than we had been **led to believe**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Some children are easily led."
                },
                {
                    "text": "This has led scientists to speculate on the existence of other galaxies."
                },
                {
                    "text": "What we found leads us to suspect that more people may be involved."
                }
            ],
            "collocations": {
                "adverb": ["normally", "usually", "inevitably"],
                "verb + lead": ["can", "may", "might"],
                "preposition": ["to"]
            }
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 6,
            "definition": "to be in control of something; to be the leader of something",
            "sensetop": "lead (something)",
            "cefr": "a2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "to **lead a team/group**"
                },
                {
                    "text": "to lead an expedition/a discussion"
                },
                {
                    "text": "Inspector Sam Roland is leading the investigation."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Who will lead the party in the next election?"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The campaign for the ban was led by Greenpeace."
                },
                {
                    "text": "A good manager **leads by example** *(= shows people how to behave by behaving in that way themselves)*."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The project is run by a team of experts led by Andrew Hall."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He led the first expedition to the North Pole."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Detective Inspector Susan Eakins, who is leading the hunt for the killer, has called a press conference."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 7,
            "definition": "to be the best at something; to be in first place",
            "sensetop": "lead (somebody/something) (in something)lead (somebody/something) by something",
            "cefr": "b1",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The department led the world in cancer research.",
                    "contextForm": "lead (somebody/something) (in something)"
                },
                {
                    "text": "We **lead the way** in space technology."
                },
                {
                    "text": "The champion is leading (her nearest rival) by 18 seconds.",
                    "contextForm": "lead (somebody/something) by something"
                },
                {
                    "text": "The firm's solid construction standards still lead the field."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He led the race for eight laps until his engine blew."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 8,
            "definition": "to have a particular type of life",
            "sensetop": "lead something",
            "cefr": "b2",
            "ox3000": true,
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "We **lead a** very quiet **life**."
                },
                {
                    "text": "to lead a life of luxury/a miserable existence"
                },
                {
                    "text": "I tried to lead as normal a life as possible."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 9,
            "definition": "to cause a process to start",
            "sensetop": "lead something",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The recent economic recovery was almost entirely led by exports."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": 10,
            "definition": "to play first; to play something as your first card",
            "sensetop": "lead something",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "It's your turn to lead."
                },
                {
                    "text": "to lead the ten of clubs",
                    "contextForm": "lead something"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "a situation in which people with almost no experience or knowledge give advice to others who also have no experience or knowledge",
            "examples": [],
            "topics": ["Suggestions and advice"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to make somebody go in the wrong direction or do things that are wrong",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Jack's parents thought the other boys might lead him astray."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to make somebody do everything you want; to control somebody completely",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to be the first to make the effort to do something new",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "Denmark, Norway and Sweden are united in leading the charge to a cash-free economy."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to cause somebody a lot of trouble or worry",
            "labels": "(British English, informal)",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to take an active part in what you are telling or persuading others to do",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to live a happy and comfortable life with no problems or responsibilities",
            "labels": "(old-fashioned, informal, often disapproving)",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "The two crooks had been living the life of Riley."
                },
                {
                    "text": "He planned to retire early and then lead the life of Riley."
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to have no successful result for somebody",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "This discussion is leading us nowhere."
                },
                {
                    "text": "Often there are discoveries which lead nowhere."
                }
            ],
            "topics": ["Difficulty and failure"]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "to make somebody believe something that is not true",
            "labels": "(informal)",
            "examples": []
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "used to suggest that the way one event or action leads to others is so obvious that it does not need to be stated",
            "examples": [
                {
                    "text": "He offered me a ride home one night, and, well, one thing led to another and now we're married!"
                }
            ]
        },
        {
            "senseNumber": null,
            "definition": "you can give somebody the opportunity to do something, but you cannot force them to do it if they do not want to",
            "labels": "(saying)",
            "examples": []
        }
    ],
    "pronunciations": {
        "uk": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/liːd/",
                "audio": "le/lead/lead__gb_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/liːdz/",
                "audio": "le/lead/leads__gb_2.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/led/",
                "audio": "le/lead/lead__gb_3.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈliːdɪŋ/",
                "audio": "le/lead/leading__gb_4.mp3"
            }
        ],
        "us": [
            {
                "pronunciation": "/liːd/",
                "audio": "le/lead/lead__us_1.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/liːdz/",
                "audio": "le/lead/leads__us_2.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/led/",
                "audio": "le/lead/led__us_3.mp3"
            },
            {
                "pronunciation": "/ˈliːdɪŋ/",
                "audio": "le/lead/leading__us_4.mp3"
            }
        ]
    },
    "wordOrigin": "Old English lǣdan, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch leiden and German leiten, also to load and lode."
}