leading and leaning differ by a single letter, buried far enough into the word to be easy to miss. leading means “indicating the most important performer or role”. leaning means “an inclination to do something”. leading is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/ˈlidɪŋ/
1.adj.indicating the most important performer or role
“the leading man”
2.adj.greatest in importance or degree or significance or achievement
“our greatest statesmen”
3.adj.going or proceeding or going in advance; showing the way
“we rode in the leading car”
/ˈlinɪŋ/
1.n.an inclination to do something
“he felt leanings toward frivolity”
2.n.a natural inclination
“he has a proclivity for exaggeration”
3.n.the property possessed by a line or surface that departs from the vertical
“the tower had a pronounced tilt”
| leading | leaning | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈlidɪŋ/ | /ˈlinɪŋ/ |
| Said | LEE-ding | LEE-ning |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 7 | 7 |
| Parts of speech | adjective, noun | noun, adjective |
| Senses | 6 | 5 |
| How common | Common | Familiar |
| Synonyms | prima, star, starring | propensity, tendency |
Full entry for leading · Full entry for leaning · More comparisons