misleading
Loading your saved state.
misleading
Something that creates a false impression or leads to a wrong conclusion. It deceives or leads someone in the wrong direction, either intentionally or unintentionally.
Die Werbung war irreführend, da das Produkt nicht die versprochenen Eigenschaften besaß.
The advertising was misleading because the product did not have the promised features.
The word is made up of 'irre' and 'führend'. 'Führend' is the present participle of 'führen' (to lead). The prefix 'irre-' here means 'wrong' or 'onto the wrong path.' Literally, something therefore leads you astray.
Die unklare Beschilderung war für Touristen sehr irreführend.
The unclear signage was very misleading for tourists.
The word belongs to the word family of 'führen' (to guide, to direct). The prefix 'irre-' changes the meaning in a negative way, similar to 'irren' (to be mistaken) or 'der Irrtum' (the error/mistake). Recognizing the stem 'führen' helps with understanding.
Lass dich von seinem Lächeln nicht in die Irre führen.
Don't let his smile lead you astray.
'Irreführend' (misleading) is often used to describe communication or information. Typical nouns are: 'irreführende Werbung' (misleading advertising), 'irreführende Angaben' (misleading information), 'eine irreführende Aussage' (a misleading statement), or 'ein irreführender Titel' (a misleading title).
Der Titel des Artikels war absichtlich irreführend, um mehr Klicks zu bekommen.
The title of the article was intentionally misleading in order to get more clicks.
wrong / false
For a problematic piece of information, „falsch“ and „irreführend“ may both fit. „Falsch“ says that the information itself is incorrect; „irreführend“ emphasizes that it creates a false impression, even if it contains some correct information. Choose „falsch“ for the content and „irreführend“ for its effect.
Die Anzeige nennt den alten Preis und wirkt deshalb irreführend.
The advertisement lists the old price and therefore seems misleading.
Die Anzeige nennt einen falschen Preis für das Fahrrad.
The advertisement lists an incorrect price for the bicycle.
