Meaning & use
accusatory
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Meaning
adjectivenot comparable
Expressing or suggesting the belief that someone has done something wrong.
Grammar: Usually describes a tone, look, question, or remark: an accusatory glance; not usually graded as more accusatory.
Patterns
- an accusatory tone
- an accusatory look
- an accusatory question
- sound accusatory
Why are you using that accusatory tone with me?
She gave him an accusatory look when the vase broke.
The article was written in an accusatory style that put readers off.
Common combinations
- accusatory tone
- Try to ask questions without an accusatory tone.
- accusatory glance
- He shot an accusatory glance at the empty cookie jar.
- sound accusatory
- Your message sounded accusatory, even if you did not intend it.
- accusatory manner
- The interview ended because of her accusatory manner.
Synonyms and how they differ
- accusing
- Accusing is very close and common; accusatory is slightly more formal and often describes an overall tone.
- reproachful
- Reproachful adds disappointment or hurt and is often gentler than accusatory.
- critical
- Critical is broader and means finding fault; accusatory specifically points toward blame for wrongdoing.
Opposites
Word family
- accuse verb
- to say someone did something wrong
- accusation noun
- a claim that someone did wrong
- accused adjective
- said to be guilty of something
- accuser noun
- a person who accuses
- accusingly adverb
- in a blaming way
Commonly confused: accusatory or accusation? accusatory or accusational?
accusatory vs accusation
Accusation is the noun; accusatory is the adjective that describes blame in a tone or manner.
accusatory vs accusational
Accusational is a rare variant of accusatory; accusatory is the form learners should normally use.
Practice
Choose the best completion: Her ___ question made him feel like a suspect.
Choose one answer.
Accusatory is the adjective modifying question. Accusation is a noun, accuse is a verb, and accusingly is an adverb, so they cannot directly describe question.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “accusatory”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.