LEAD ON

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does lead on mean? 

• LEAD ON (verb)
  The verb LEAD ON has 2 senses:

1. entice or induce especially when unwise or mistaken

2. be false to; be dishonest with

  Familiarity information: LEAD ON used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• LEAD ON (verb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

Entice or induce especially when unwise or mistaken

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Hypernyms (to "lead on" is one way to...):

entice; lure; tempt (provoke someone to do something through (often false or exaggerated) promises or persuasion)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

Sense 2

Meaning:

Be false to; be dishonest with

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Synonyms:

cozen; deceive; delude; lead on

Hypernyms (to "lead on" is one way to...):

victimise; victimize (make a victim of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "lead on"):

betray; sell (deliver to an enemy by treachery)

cheat; chisel (engage in deceitful behavior; practice trickery or fraud)

shill (act as a shill)

flim-flam; fob; fox; play a joke on; play a trick on; play tricks; pull a fast one on; trick (deceive somebody)

befool; fool; gull (make a fool or dupe of)

betray; cheat; cheat on; cuckold; wander (be sexually unfaithful to one's partner in marriage)

hoax; play a joke on; pull someone's leg (subject to a playful hoax or joke)

ensnare; entrap; frame; set up (take or catch as if in a snare or trap)

humbug (trick or deceive)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody

 Context examples 

Lead on, Godfrey!

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)