What are some opposite words for lead?
Antonyms for lead
lɛdlead
This page is about all possible antonyms and opposite words for the term lead.
Wiktionary
English Synonyms and Antonyms
lead
One object draws another when it moves it toward itself or in the direction of its own motion by the exertion of adequate force, whether slight or powerful. To attract is to exert a force that tends to draw, tho it may produce no actual motion; all objects are attracted toward the earth, tho they may be sustained from falling. To drag is to draw against strong resistance; as, to drag a sled over bare ground, or a carriage up a steep hill. To pull is to exert a drawing force, whether adequate or inadequate; as, the fish pulls on the line; a dentist pulls a tooth. To tug is to draw, or try to draw, a resisting object with a continuous straining motion; as, to tug at the oar. To haul is to draw somewhat slowly a heavy object; as, to haul a seine; to haul logs. One vessel tows another. In the figurative sense, attract is more nearly akin to incline, draw to induce. We are attracted by one's appearance, drawn to his side. Compare ALLURE; ARRAY; INFLUENCE.
See synonyms for DRIVE.
Antonyms:
alienate, estrange, rebuff, reject, repel, repulseSynonyms:
allure, attract, drag, draw, entice, haul, incline, induce, lure, pull, tow, tugPreposition:
To draw water from or out of the well; draw the boat through the water, to the shore; draw air into the lungs; draw with cords of love; the wagon is drawn by horses, along the road, across the field, over the stones, through the woods, to the barn.
Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and Antonyms
leadverb
Antonyms:
misconduct, mislead, follow, dissuade, abandon, leave, misguideSynonyms:
conduct, guide, precede, induce, spend, pass, commence, inaugurate, convoy, persuade, direct, influenceleadnoun
Antonyms:
subordination, inferiority, submissionSynonyms:
priority, pre-eminence, initiative, guidance, control
Matched Categories
Princeton's WordNet
leadnoun
an advantage held by a competitor in a race
"he took the lead at the last turn"
Antonyms:
deficitSynonyms:
star, jumper cable, pencil lead, lead-in, tip, jumper lead, atomic number 82, wind, lead story, hint, lede, spark advance, trail, principal, tether, leash, booster cable, track, leading, confidential information, steerlead, Pb, atomic number 82noun
a soft heavy toxic malleable metallic element; bluish white when freshly cut but tarnishes readily to dull grey
"the children were playing with lead soldiers"
Antonyms:
deficitSynonyms:
petabyte, star, jumper cable, petabit, pencil lead, lead-in, tip, jumper lead, atomic number 82, wind, lead story, hint, lede, spark advance, trail, principal, tether, leash, booster cable, track, leading, confidential information, steer, pebibytelead, track, trailnoun
evidence pointing to a possible solution
"the police are following a promising lead"; "the trail led straight to the perpetrator"
Antonyms:
deficitSynonyms:
rails, course, data track, path, lead-in, wind, cut, atomic number 82, cart track, confidential information, principal, leading, tether, caterpillar tread, raceway, lead story, caterpillar track, trail, runway, lede, steer, rail, leash, star, running, hint, racetrack, jumper cable, cartroad, jumper lead, booster cable, racecourse, pencil lead, tip, track, spark advanceleadnoun
a position of leadership (especially in the phrase `take the lead')
"he takes the lead in any group"; "we were just waiting for someone to take the lead"; "they didn't follow our lead"
Antonyms:
deficitSynonyms:
star, jumper cable, pencil lead, lead-in, tip, jumper lead, atomic number 82, wind, lead story, hint, lede, spark advance, trail, principal, tether, leash, booster cable, track, leading, confidential information, steerleadnoun
the angle between the direction a gun is aimed and the position of a moving target (correcting for the flight time of the missile)
Antonyms:
deficitSynonyms:
star, jumper cable, pencil lead, lead-in, tip, jumper lead, atomic number 82, wind, lead story, hint, lede, spark advance, trail, principal, tether, leash, booster cable, track, leading, confidential information, steerlead, lead-in, ledenoun
the introductory section of a story
"it was an amusing lead-in to a very serious matter"
Antonyms:
deficitSynonyms:
star, jumper cable, pencil lead, lead-in, tip, jumper lead, atomic number 82, wind, lead story, hint, lede, spark advance, trail, principal, tether, leash, booster cable, track, leading, confidential information, steerleadnoun
(sports) the score by which a team or individual is winning
Antonyms:
deficitSynonyms:
star, jumper cable, pencil lead, lead-in, tip, jumper lead, atomic number 82, wind, lead story, hint, lede, spark advance, trail, principal, tether, leash, booster cable, track, leading, confidential information, steerstar, principal, leadnoun
an actor who plays a principal role
Antonyms:
deficitSynonyms:
hint, lead story, whiz, lead-in, wind, school principal, atomic number 82, head teacher, ace, head, confidential information, whizz, headliner, leading, tether, hotshot, wiz, star topology, dealer, sensation, lede, steer, principal, maven, genius, star, asterisk, virtuoso, mavin, wizard, jumper cable, jumper lead, booster cable, principal sum, adept, leash, superstar, pencil lead, trail, corpus, tip, champion, track, spark advanceleadnoun
(baseball) the position taken by a base runner preparing to advance to the next base
"he took a long lead off first"
Antonyms:
deficitSynonyms:
star, jumper cable, pencil lead, lead-in, tip, jumper lead, atomic number 82, wind, lead story, hint, lede, spark advance, trail, principal, tether, leash, booster cable, track, leading, confidential information, steertip, lead, steer, confidential information, wind, hintnoun
an indication of potential opportunity
"he got a tip on the stock market"; "a good lead for a job"
Antonyms:
deficitSynonyms:
hint, touch, flatus, mite, farting, lead-in, wind, crest, atomic number 82, nothingness, pinch, crown, suggestion, jot, confidential information, bakshis, peak, leading, breaking wind, soupcon, bullock, point, pourboire, tether, wind instrument, lead story, trail, clue, baksheesh, lede, winding, steer, tinge, leash, gratuity, fart, star, malarkey, idle words, malarky, bakshish, jazz, jumper cable, jumper lead, air current, booster cable, intimation, principal, current of air, top, trace, pencil lead, breath, tip, speck, summit, backsheesh, track, spark advance, twistlead, lead storynoun
a news story of major importance
Antonyms:
deficitSynonyms:
star, jumper cable, pencil lead, lead-in, tip, jumper lead, atomic number 82, wind, lead story, hint, lede, spark advance, trail, principal, tether, leash, booster cable, track, leading, confidential information, steerspark advance, leadnoun
the timing of ignition relative to the position of the piston in an internal-combustion engine
Antonyms:
deficitSynonyms:
star, tether, jumper cable, pencil lead, lead-in, tip, jumper lead, atomic number 82, wind, lead story, hint, lede, spark advance, principal, trail, leash, booster cable, track, leading, confidential information, steerleash, tether, leadnoun
restraint consisting of a rope (or light chain) used to restrain an animal
Antonyms:
deficitSynonyms:
hint, tercet, lead-in, wind, tierce, atomic number 82, trine, ternion, confidential information, leading, terzetto, triad, tether, lead story, steer, lede, jumper lead, trail, triplet, leash, ternary, trio, three, troika, collar, jumper cable, threesome, booster cable, deuce-ace, principal, star, pencil lead, trinity, trey, tip, track, spark advancelead, leadingnoun
thin strip of metal used to separate lines of type in printing
Antonyms:
deficitSynonyms:
star, jumper cable, pencil lead, lead-in, tip, jumper lead, atomic number 82, leadership, wind, lead story, hint, lede, spark advance, trail, principal, tether, leash, booster cable, track, leading, confidential information, steerlead, pencil leadnoun
mixture of graphite with clay in different degrees of hardness; the marking substance in a pencil
Antonyms:
deficitSynonyms:
star, jumper cable, pencil lead, lead-in, tip, jumper lead, atomic number 82, wind, lead story, hint, lede, spark advance, trail, principal, tether, leash, booster cable, track, leading, confidential information, steerjumper cable, jumper lead, lead, booster cablenoun
a jumper that consists of a short piece of wire
"it was a tangle of jumper cables and clip leads"
Antonyms:
deficitSynonyms:
star, tether, pencil lead, lead-in, tip, atomic number 82, wind, lead story, hint, lede, spark advance, jumper lead, trail, jumper cable, booster cable, track, leading, confidential information, leash, steer, principalleadverb
the playing of a card to start a trick in bridge
"the lead was in the dummy"
Antonyms:
deficitSynonyms:
star, jumper cable, pencil lead, lead-in, tip, jumper lead, atomic number 82, wind, lead story, hint, lede, spark advance, trail, principal, tether, leash, booster cable, track, leading, confidential information, steerlead, take, direct, conduct, guideverb
take somebody somewhere
"We lead him to our chief"; "can you take me to the main entrance?"; "He conducted us to the palace"
Antonyms:
deficitSynonyms:
require, chair, read, occupy, subscribe to, rent, withdraw, run, organise, top, mastermind, take on, carry, deal, assume, engineer, have, hold, choose, learn, fill, transmit, necessitate, impart, consume, go, drive, hire, result, place, consider, need, study, behave, pick out, steer, guide on, send, channel, draw, contract, adopt, calculate, film, remove, demand, acquit, orchestrate, conduce, lease, contribute, take aim, take up, train, strike, use up, select, take, engage, comport, make, claim, channelize, point, manoeuvre, head, get, channelise, get hold of, exact, take away, pack, call for, take in, bring, submit, convey, deport, shoot, aim, direct, charter, precede, extend, contain, address, bear, carry on, target, subscribe, involve, acquire, manoeuver, look at, postulate, organize, accept, moderate, guide, admit, pass, ingest, leave, ask, maneuver, conductleave, result, leadverb
have as a result or residue
"The water left a mark on the silk dress"; "Her blood left a stain on the napkin"
Antonyms:
deficitSynonyms:
go out, conduce, go away, impart, pass on, allow, head, guide, go forth, take, result, leave alone, extend, pull up stakes, will, bequeath, chair, precede, leave behind, give, go, forget, direct, pass, get out, ensue, provide, depart, allow for, leave, conduct, exit, run, top, contribute, entrust, moderateleadverb
tend to or result in
"This remark lead to further arguments among the guests"
Antonyms:
deficitSynonyms:
go, conduce, chair, moderate, contribute, result, guide, direct, extend, top, run, take, pass, leave, conduct, precede, headlead, headverb
travel in front of; go in advance of others
"The procession was headed by John"
Antonyms:
deficitSynonyms:
go, conduce, point, head up, channelize, maneuver, channelise, chair, moderate, contribute, result, manoeuver, guide, direct, extend, top, run, take, pass, leave, conduct, precede, steer, head, manoeuvreleadverb
cause to undertake a certain action
"Her greed led her to forge the checks"
Antonyms:
deficitSynonyms:
go, conduce, chair, moderate, contribute, result, guide, direct, extend, top, run, take, pass, leave, conduct, precede, headrun, go, pass, lead, extendverb
stretch out over a distance, space, time, or scope; run or extend between two points or beyond a certain point
"Service runs all the way to Cranbury"; "His knowledge doesn't go very far"; "My memory extends back to my fourth year of life"; "The facts extend beyond a consideration of her personal assets"
Antonyms:
deficitSynonyms:
pop off, last, drop dead, melt, play, lean, eliminate, live, blend in, plump, take place, start, survive, fall out, decease, work, run low, conduct, take, carry, protract, buy the farm, spend, fleet, melt down, extend, go across, result, stretch out, broaden, proceed, turn tail, endure, overtake, fit, evanesce, get going, gallop, slip by, course, hap, expire, direct, snuff it, make pass, communicate, black market, feed, depart, head for the hills, fall, draw, flow, widen, pass away, hightail it, croak, run away, fade, scat, head, glide by, escape, continue, happen, unravel, contribute, poke out, expand, egest, ply, come about, kick the bucket, draw out, range, go by, chair, make it, campaign, blow over, transcend, authorize, track down, belong, give way, offer, function, pass off, cover, consort, exceed, stretch, give-up the ghost, conk, surpass, exsert, get, cash in one's chips, break, hold up, exit, overstep, run for, incline, die hard, pass on, hand, conk out, break down, devolve, travel, bunk, blend, race, top, moderate, move, lam, go on, sound, reach, persist, slide by, operate, fail, elapse, hunt, strain, legislate, choke, locomote, authorise, tend, sink, occur, run short, bleed, conduce, scarper, go along, execute, put across, take to the woods, go past, unfold, pass along, live on, lapse, go bad, run, hunt down, slip away, clear, guide, reach out, die, turn over, be given, go, overhaul, become, return, rifle, perish, travel by, precede, fly the coop, hold out, give, pass, ladder, prolong, break away, go through, prevail, pass by, give out, stretch forth, put out, excrete, leave, go awayhead, leadverb
be in charge of
"Who is heading this project?"
Antonyms:
deficitSynonyms:
manoeuver, run, precede, maneuver, chair, extend, top, guide, pass, head up, direct, channelize, conduct, head, conduce, take, moderate, channelise, leave, result, contribute, steer, go, point, manoeuvrelead, topverb
be ahead of others; be the first
"she topped her class every year"
Antonyms:
deficitSynonyms:
go, conduce, crown, top off, clear, exceed, pinch, chair, moderate, contribute, top out, result, guide, direct, extend, top, run, go past, take, transcend, pass, leave, conduct, precede, head, overstepcontribute, lead, conduceverb
be conducive to
"The use of computers in the classroom lead to better writing"
Antonyms:
deficitSynonyms:
conduce, precede, run, put up, bestow, lend, chip in, give, chair, extend, contribute, add, impart, guide, direct, result, top, kick in, take, moderate, pass, leave, conduct, bring, go, headconduct, lead, directverb
lead, as in the performance of a composition
"conduct an orchestra; Barenboim conducted the Chicago symphony for years"
Antonyms:
deficitSynonyms:
comport, conduce, place, moderate, impart, behave, send, head, target, maneuver, take, carry on, result, point, deport, extend, aim, channelise, deal, take aim, engineer, chair, calculate, channel, precede, carry, manoeuver, go, address, manoeuvre, direct, pass, organize, channelize, organise, acquit, convey, leave, conduct, transmit, run, top, contribute, orchestrate, mastermind, guide, train, steer, beargo, leadverb
lead, extend, or afford access
"This door goes to the basement"; "The road runs South"
Antonyms:
deficitSynonyms:
drop dead, pop off, operate, belong, buy the farm, give-up the ghost, work, choke, go away, get, rifle, cash in one's chips, sound, get going, kick the bucket, expire, blend, function, endure, leave, live, pass away, perish, run short, survive, croak, plump, move, extend, conk, fit, blend in, become, run low, conk out, locomote, break, proceed, last, decease, give out, snuff it, depart, give way, hold up, direct, chair, go, pass, hold out, precede, start, fail, take, die, moderate, travel, conduct, exit, run, top, contribute, live on, conduce, guide, head, break down, result, go badprecede, leadverb
move ahead (of others) in time or space
Antonyms:
deficitSynonyms:
conduce, antecede, precede, predate, antedate, chair, forgo, come before, result, guide, forego, direct, extend, top, run, premise, preface, take, moderate, pass, leave, conduct, contribute, introduce, go, headrun, leadverb
cause something to pass or lead somewhere
"Run the wire behind the cabinet"
Antonyms:
deficitSynonyms:
course, operate, hunt, fly the coop, work, scat, moderate, run away, move, turn tail, range, head, guide, function, lam, take, flow, melt down, track down, break away, head for the hills, extend, hunt down, conduce, endure, bunk, take to the woods, consort, execute, feed, chair, run, bleed, carry, scarper, go, unravel, lean, direct, play, die hard, race, pass, top, run for, black market, persist, incline, leave, conduct, draw, hightail it, be given, prevail, campaign, contribute, tend, escape, precede, ladder, ply, result, meltmoderate, chair, leadverb
preside over
"John moderated the discussion"
Antonyms:
deficitSynonyms:
temper, run, mince, hold in, tame, precede, result, chairman, control, chair, moderate, hold, guide, check, soften, tone down, direct, extend, top, head, conduce, take, pass, leave, conduct, contribute, chasten, go, curb, contain
Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated Words
leadnoun
Synonyms:
plumbum (Chem.), graphite, plumbago (black lead), plummet, blende (mock lead)leadnoun
Synonyms:
precedence, initiative, command, guidanceleadverb
Synonyms:
guide, conduct, escort, direct, precede, induce, entice, influence, allure, persuade, actuate, impel, conduce, contribute, tend, have precedence, have charge of, command, head
How to use lead in a sentence?
… Over 10 years, you go through some, and to be able to have the opportunity to communicate and talk through things – that’s the thing I’m most thankful for. Because I think a lot of times people don’t understand how to have that in their lives. They don’t understand how to set boundaries that can lead to a good work relationship or good friendships or marriages or children, whatever it is. So I’m just really thankful that I’ve been heard. Because that can oftentimes be hard. So I think with the whole ‘American Pickers’ thing, it’s definitely taught me that. How to be heard, how to hear other people, how to have compassion.
As anticipated, negotiations did not lead to any agreement between the parties, and investors were waiting for Oi's next move.
He appears to be trying to lead the Committee in a certain direction before there is clear evidence about how the economy is responding to this shock, the MPC is always evidence-based in its decisions and at present we have little evidence on the economic impact of the Brexit decision.
If you are a big developed nation and you are not helping to lead, you are a part of the problem, more than half of global emissions are coming from developing nations. It is imperative that they act too.
I think it’s the toughest leadership job, political job, in this city, when the president makes a decision the government moves, in the House when the Speaker makes a decision the rules committee takes care of it, in the Senate…you lead and govern by the strength of your personality and respect for the rules.
Words popularity by usage frequency
| ranking | word | |
|---|---|---|
| #1129 | leave | |
| #1164 | follow | |
| #1176 | lead | |
| #3430 | submission | |
| #8380 | deficit | |
| #8574 | reject | |
| #14530 | abandon | |
| #15297 | misconduct | |
| #34065 | mislead | |
| #42537 | repel | |
| #47817 | subordination | |
| #48126 | alienate | |
| #52274 | inferiority | |
| #63455 | dissuade | |
| #85740 | repulse | |
| #112741 | rebuff | |
| #144137 | estrange | |
| #145312 | misguide |
Translation
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"lead." Synonyms.com. STANDS4 LLC, 2024. Web. 19 Apr. 2024. <https://www.synonyms.com/antonyms/lead>.
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