lead – English verb conjugation

English verb forms of lead

Nominal Forms

Infinitive: to lead
Participle: led
Gerund: leading

Cognates

-

Indicative

Present

Ilead
youlead
he;she;itleads
welead
youlead
theylead

Perfect

Ihave led
youhave led
he;she;ithas led
wehave led
youhave led
theyhave led

Past

Iled
youled
he;she;itled
weled
youled
theyled

Pluperfect

Ihad led
youhad led
he;she;ithad led
wehad led
youhad led
theyhad led

Future

Iwill lead
youwill lead
he;she;itwill lead
wewill lead
youwill lead
theywill lead

Future Perfect

Iwill have led
youwill have led
he;she;itwill have led
wewill have led
youwill have led
theywill have led

Subjunctive

Present

Ilead
youlead
he;she;itlead
welead
youlead
theylead

Perfect

Ihave led
youhave led
he;she;ithave led
wehave led
youhave led
theyhave led

Imperfect

Iled
youled
he;she;itled
weled
youled
theyled

Pluperfect

Ihad led
youhad led
he;she;ithad led
wehad led
youhad led
theyhad led

Conditional

Present

Iwould lead
youwould lead
he;she;itwould lead
wewould lead
youwould lead
theywould lead

Perfect

Iwould have led
youwould have led
he;she;itwould have led
wewould have led
youwould have led
theywould have led

Imperative

youlead
weLet's lead
youlead

Progressive (Continuous) Forms

Indicative

Present

Iam leading
youare leading
he;she;itis leading
weare leading
youare leading
theyare leading

Perfect

Ihave been leading
youhave been leading
he;she;ithas been leading
wehave been leading
youhave been leading
theyhave been leading

Past

Iwas leading
youwere leading
he;she;itwas leading
wewere leading
youwere leading
theywere leading

Pluperfect

Ihad been leading
youhad been leading
he;she;ithad been leading
wehad been leading
youhad been leading
theyhad been leading

Future

Iwill be leading
youwill be leading
he;she;itwill be leading
wewill be leading
youwill be leading
theywill be leading

Future Perfect

Iwill have been leading
youwill have been leading
he;she;itwill have been leading
wewill have been leading
youwill have been leading
theywill have been leading

Conditional

Present

Iwould be leading
youwould be leading
he;she;itwould be leading
wewould be leading
youwould be leading
theywould be leading

Perfect

Iwould have been leading
youwould have been leading
he;she;itwould have been leading
wewould have been leading
youwould have been leading
theywould have been leading

Other

Verbs similar to 'lead'

bead, dead, head, leaf, leak, leam, lean, leap, lear, lend,

Synonyms & Antonyms

Synonyms

guide
direct, usher, escort, conduct, precede, convey, introduce
influence
entice, induce, lure, persuade, seduce, allure, convince, guide
surpass
excel, overtake, beat, outstrip

Antonyms

guide
deceive, betray, mislead, misdirect
influence
ineffectiveness, impotence, futility, incapacity

Additional Information

Etymology

1. "to guide," O.E. lædan "cause to go with one, lead," causative of liðan "to travel," from W.Gmc. *laithjan (cf. O.S. lithan, O.N. liða "to go," O.H.G. ga-lidan "to travel," Goth. ga-leiþan "to go"). Meaning "to be in first place" is from c.1380. The noun is first recorded c.1300, "action of leading." Meaning "the front or leading place" is from 1570. Johnson stigmatized it as "a low, despicable word." Sense in card-playing is from 1742; in theater, from 1831; in journalism, from 1927; in jazz bands, from 1934. Leader "one who leads" is from c.1300; as shortened form of leading article (1807) "prominent newspaper piece giving editorial opinion" it dates from 1837. Leadership first attested 1821.
2. From Middle English led, leed, from Old English lēad (“lead”), from Proto-West Germanic *laud (“lead”), possibly borrowed from Proto-Celtic *ɸloudom, from Proto-Indo-European *plewd- (“to flow”).
3. Cognate with Scots leid, lede (“lead”), North Frisian lud, luad (“lead”), West Frisian lead (“lead”), Dutch lood (“lead”), Low German Lod (“solder, plummet”), German Lot (“solder, plummet, sounding line”), Swedish lod (“solder, plummet”), Icelandic lóð (“a plumb, weight”), Irish luaidhe (“lead”) Latin plumbum (“lead”), Finnish luoti (“bullet”). Doublet of loth. More at flow.
4. * (graphite in a pencil): Graphite was once believed to be a form of lead; see black lead and plumbago.

Verbs referencing "lead"

Danish lede, German, old spelling leiten, Norwegian, nynorsk leia, Luxembourgish leeden, Korean 리드하다.

Sample Sentences

  • Both gentlemen laughed uproariously. “ Now, Jim, ” said his master, “ show us how old Elder Robbins leads the psalm. ” The boy drew his chubby face down to a formidable length, and commenced toning a psalm tune through his nose, with imperturbable gravity. (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • [...] density, weight, and heat, of every article she could lay her hands upon. She followed her mother, and felt her hands and arms, as she was occupied about the house; and her disposition to imitate, led her to repeat everything herself. She even learned to sew a little, and to knit. ’ (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • ‘Her tendency to imitation is so strong, that it leads her to actions which must be entirely incomprehensible to her, and which can give her no other pleasure than the gratification of an internal faculty. She has been known to sit for half an hour, [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] to impress upon him that there is but one path, and that one sober industry, which can ever lead him to happiness; to teach him how it may be trodden, if his footsteps have never yet been led that way; and to lure him back to it if they have strayed: in a word, to snatch him from destruction, and restore him to society a penitent and useful member. The importance of such an [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • The House of Correction which has led to these remarks, is not walled, like other prisons, but is palisaded round about with tall rough stakes, something after the manner of an enclosure for keeping elephants in, as we see it [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] that behind that hill, and some three miles from the next station, there is a clever town in a smart lo-ca-tion, where he expects you have concluded to stop. Your answer in the negative naturally leads to more questions in reference to your intended route (always pronounced rout ); and wherever you are going, you invariably learn that you ca n't get there without immense difficulty and danger, and [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • [...] all was maternal love, wrought into a paroxysm of frenzy by the near approach of a fearful danger. Her boy was old enough to have walked by her side, and, in an indifferent case, she would only have led him by the hand; but now the bare thought of putting him out of her arms made her shudder, and she strained him to her bosom with a convulsive grasp, as she went rapidly forward. (Uncle Tom’s Cabin)
  • ‘Possible?’ With what stupendous and untranslatable coolness he says this, and how loungingly he leads on to the women 's side: making, as he goes, a kind of iron castanet of the key and the stair-rail ! (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • ‘Well, it an’t a very rowdy life, and that’s a fact!’ Again he clinks his metal castanet, and leads us leisurely away. I have a question to ask him as we go. (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • This is the place: these narrow ways, diverging to the right and left, and reeking everywhere with dirt and filth. Such lives as are led here, bear the same fruits here as elsewhere. The coarse and bloated faces at the doors, have counterparts at home, and all the wide world over. Debauchery has made the very houses prematurely [...] (American Notes for General Circulation)
  • He was leading a happy life with his family, da (Magudam)