misleading

misleading — adjective

1. creating an impression that is not accurate, so that someone forms a false opini

1.adjectiveB2
Definition

creating an impression that is not accurate, so that someone forms a false opinion about a person, situation, or thing — for example, using numbers that hide the real cost, or presenting only part of the facts.

Example

The advertisement made misleading claims about the health benefits of the drink.

make misleading claims about [topic]

Eitan realized the figures were misleading when he compared them with last year's data.

figures / data as subject of be misleading

Common collocations
  • misleading information
  • misleading statement
  • misleading impression
  • misleading advertising
  • misleading claims
  • misleading data
  • highly misleading
  • potentially misleading
  • deeply misleading
  • deliberately misleading
Synonyms
  • deceptive

    Stronger than misleading — deceptive usually implies deliberate trickery (e.g. deceptive packaging)

  • confusing

    Milder than misleading — confusing causes uncertainty rather than a definite false belief

  • unreliable

    Focuses on trustworthiness of the information source, not the impression it creates

Antonyms
  • truthful

    A truthful statement or account reflects facts accurately

  • straightforward

    Clear and easy to understand, without hidden implications

  • accurate

    Correct in every detail, leaving no room for false conclusions

Grammar Patterns

be + misleading

find + noun + misleading

it + be + misleading + to-infinitive

misleading + noun

Usage Note

Commonly used before nouns (a misleading statement) or after linking verbs (the results are misleading). Frequently modified by adverbs such as highly, very, quite, or potentially. The adjective does not imply intent — something can be misleading by accident if it creates a wrong impression in the listener or reader.

Common Mistakes

He was misleading me on purpose when he said the price was final.
He deliberately gave me misleading information about the price.
'misleading' as an adjective describes the effect on the listener; the verb 'to mislead' is used for the person's action.
The report had one small error — it was very misleading.
The report had one small error, but it was not really misleading.
'misleading' is best reserved for cases where the wrong belief is significant, not for minor inaccuracies.

Word family

  • mislead
    verbB2
  • misleadingly
    adverbC1
  • misled
    adjectiveB2
  • misleadingness
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Misleading, deceptive, confusing, dishonest, and unreliable all relate to causing wrong beliefs, but they differ in intent and severity. Misleading focuses on the effect — something is misleading if it causes someone to believe something false, regardless of whether the deception was intentional. Deceptive is stronger and usually implies deliberate trickery (e.g., deceptive packaging that hides the true size). Confusing is milder — it causes uncertainty rather than a fixed false belief. Dishonest focuses on the speaker's intent to deceive rather than the effect on the listener. Unreliable means the source cannot be trusted to provide correct information, often due to a pattern of errors. For example: 'The graph was misleading because the axis started at 10, not 0' (effect on reader); 'The company was dishonest in presenting the data' (character of the presenter); 'The instructions were confusing because they contradicted each other' (causes uncertainty).

misleading ↗deceptiveconfusing ↗dishonest ↗unreliable ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • in a misleading way
  • may be misleading

Prepositions

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Formed by adding the prefix mis- (from Old English, meaning 'wrongly' or 'badly') to the present participle of the verb lead (Old English lædan, meaning 'to guide or conduct'). The compound literally means 'leading wrongly' and has been used as an adjective since the 16th century to describe information or appearances that guide someone toward an incorrect conclusion.