word-vault

{ "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." }