Lead to believe Meaning in English
expression
ˈɫɛd/, /ˈɫid/ /ˈtu/, /tə/, /tɪ/ /bɪˈɫiv
LED-tuh-bee-LEEV or LEED-tuh-bee-LEEV
lɛd/ /tˈuː/ /bɪlˈiːv
LED-too-bil-EEV
Definition
To cause someone to believe something, usually by giving information that may not be completely true or is misleading.
Usage & Nuances
Often used in passive voice: 'I was led to believe.' Implies that the belief may be false or incomplete. Common in formal, polite, or indirect speech, especially when disappointment or misunderstanding is involved.
Spanish: hacer creerPortuguese (BR): fazer acreditarPortuguese (PT): fazer acreditarChinese (Simplified): 让...相信Chinese (Traditional): 讓...相信Hindi: यकीन दिलानाArabic: جعل شخص يعتقدBengali: বিশ্বাস করানো - ভাবানোRussian: заставить поверить - вводить в заблуждениеJapanese: 信じ込ませるVietnamese: khiến tin - làm cho tinKorean: 믿게 하다 - 속이다Turkish: inanmasına neden olmak - yanlış izlenim vermekUrdu: یقین دلانا - یقین کرواناIndonesian: membuat percaya - meyakinkan
Example Sentences
He led me to believe that the job was mine.
basic
I was led to believe the meeting started at 9.
basic
They led us to believe everything was fine.
basic
I was led to believe you’d already left the party.
natural
She led him to believe she was single.
natural
Don’t lead people to believe something you know isn’t true.
natural