in the lead
in the lead — idiom
1. in first place during a race, election, or contest, ahead of all other competito
in first place during a race, election, or contest, ahead of all other competitors at that moment.
The Watanabe family's bakery was in the lead at the fair until judging ended.
be in the lead in a competition context
With two laps to go, the Kenyan runner was in the lead by fifteen metres.
be in the lead + distance measure
Dr. Okafor's team moved into the lead after the third round of the research competition.
The latest poll put the Green Party candidate in the lead among voters under thirty.
- ahead
more general; 'ahead' can be used without a direct comparison group
- in first place
more specific to ranked competitions; implies an explicit ranking system
- leading
adjective form; can modify nouns ('the leading runner')
- behind
trailing in position or score
- in last place
at the bottom of a ranking
文法句型
be in the lead
put someone in the lead
move into the lead
用法筆記
Common with verbs of movement or position: 'be', 'move', 'go', 'put', 'stay', 'remain'. Can be modified by time expressions ('early in the race', 'at the halfway point').
常見錯誤
2. further ahead than others in progress, achievement, or development, though not n
further ahead than others in progress, achievement, or development, though not necessarily in a formal competition.
Japan was in the lead in robotics research throughout the early 2000s.
be in the lead in [field of expertise]
The night-shift nurse was in the lead on patient recovery scores for three months running.
be in the lead on [specific measure]
Among European carmakers, the Swedish manufacturer was clearly in the lead in safety technology.
The children from Ms. Chen's class were in the lead in the nationwide reading challenge.
- ahead
shorter and more flexible; 'ahead in technology' works the same way
- out in front
more informal; suggests a clear advantage
- at the forefront
more formal; implies innovation or pioneering work
- lagging behind
falling short in progress or achievement
文法句型
be in the lead in [domain]
be in the lead on [measure]
用法筆記
Unlike sense 1, this sense does not require an ongoing timed contest. The domain is introduced with 'in' ('in the lead in safety technology') or 'on' ('in the lead on test scores').
常見錯誤
3. considered the most likely person or thing to achieve a particular goal, win an
considered the most likely person or thing to achieve a particular goal, win an award, or be selected for a position.
The Brazilian striker is in the lead to win the tournament's Golden Boot award.
be in the lead to + infinitive (likely outcome)
Early reviews put Priya's debut novel in the lead for the National Book Prize.
put [something] in the lead for [prize/award]
After the CEO quit, the head of marketing was in the lead for the role.
That young actor is in the lead for Best Supporting Actor at the film awards.
- favourite
chiefly British; can be a noun ('the favourite to win')
- front-runner
noun form; implies a person or thing currently expected to succeed
- most likely
less idiomatic but clearer for learners at lower levels
- outsider
someone or something not expected to win
- dark horse
an unexpected contender with little public attention
文法句型
be in the lead to [verb]
put [someone] in the lead as [role]
用法筆記
Frequently used for prediction or likelihood rather than current score. Very common in sports commentary ('in the lead to be MVP') and entertainment news ('in the lead for Best Actress').