lead someone on

Meaning

To 'lead someone on' means to encourage someone to believe that you have romantic feelings for them or that a relationship is possible, when you actually do not. It implies dishonesty or insincerity, often giving the other person false hope.

Examples

• I didn't mean to lead him on; I just wanted to be friends.

  I didn't mean to lead him on; I just wanted to be friends.

• She was leading him on for months before finally telling him she was married.

  She was leading him on for months before finally telling him she was married.

• Stop leading her on if you don't actually want to go out with her.

  Stop leading her on if you don't actually want to go out with her.

• He felt led on when he found out she was dating other people the whole time.

  He felt led on when he found out she was dating other people the whole time.

• It's cruel to lead someone on just to boost your own ego.

  It's cruel to lead someone on just to boost your own ego.

Common Mistakes

• ✗ She led on him for weeks.

  ✓ She led him on for weeks.

  'Lead someone on' is a separable phrasal verb. When using a pronoun (him, her, me), it must go between 'lead' and 'on'.

• ✗ He led me on to think he loved me.

  ✓ He led me to believe he loved me.

  'Lead someone on' is usually followed by a gerund clause or stands alone. 'Lead someone to believe' is the correct structure for introducing a specific false belief.

Related Expressions

Practice

• If you don't see a future with him, don't ___.

  💡 Give him false hope.

  Show answer

  lead him on

• I realized she was just ___ when she kept canceling our dates but texting me constantly.

  💡 Giving me false encouragement.

  Show answer

  leading me on