led

Showed the way

Led is the past tense and past participle of lead, meaning to guide, direct, or be in front.

Someone led a group, led a meeting, or led the way.

A path led somewhere.

An investigation led to conclusions.

Events led up to an outcome: One thing led to another. (All-caps LED is an acronym for light-emitting diode.)

guidance

mentor

Trusted wisdom-giving advisor

advisorOne who gives guidance
guideLeader or instruction book
coachOne who instructs

navigator · director · shepherd · pathfinder · conductor · facilitator · pioneer · trailblazer · spearhead · helm

Categories

past tense verbswent, got, had, did, said
Short Wordsact, a, add, I, bat
dance movespirouette, shimmy, waltz, tango, cha-cha
ledcommanded, directed, governed, guided, headed
past participlesbeen, done, gone, seen, taken
device partsbattery, button, buttons, camera, screen

Opposites

leadership/guidance

Came behind another

trailed · lagged · trailed behind · brought up the rear · deferred

causation/initiation

Stopped before occurrence

resulted · hindered · blocked · stopped · impeded

Phrases

led astrayCaused to err
one thing led to anotherEvents unfolded consequentially
Led Zeppelin
LED lightSemiconductor-based illumination device
LED bulbSemiconductor-based light source
led offInitiated the action

Family

Familiarity: Top 20,000
Profile: Known to kids · Used worldwide · Timeless · Everyday, not technical · Rated G