Meaning & use
accuse
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Meanings
verbtransitive
To say that someone has done something wrong, dishonest, or against the law.
Grammar: Takes an object and is followed by of plus a noun or -ing form: accuse someone of lying, not accuse someone to lie.
Patterns
- accuse someone of something
- accuse someone of doing something
- accuse someone falsely
- publicly accuse someone
She accused her coworker of taking credit for her idea.
The newspaper accused the company of hiding safety problems.
He was falsely accused of cheating on the exam.
verbtransitive
To blame a person or group by saying they are responsible for a problem.
Grammar: Still takes an object; it often sounds less formal than charge and may be fair or unfair.
Patterns
- accuse someone of causing something
- accuse the government of failing
- accuse a company of negligence
Residents accused the city of ignoring repeated warnings about the bridge.
Do not accuse your friends before you check the facts.
The report accuses leaders of causing the delay.
Word forms
| third person singular | accuses |
|---|---|
| past tense | accused |
| past participle | accused |
| -ing form | accusing |
Common combinations
- falsely accuse someone
- It is harmful to falsely accuse someone without evidence.
- accuse someone of lying
- She accused him of lying about where he had been.
- accuse someone of a crime
- Witnesses accused the driver of a crime after the crash.
- publicly accuse
- The victim decided to publicly accuse the official.
- accuse someone to their face
- She had the courage to accuse him to his face.
Synonyms and how they differ
- charge
- Charge is more formal and legal, often meaning police or officials formally start a case; accuse can be private or public.
- blame
- Blame says someone is responsible for a bad result, but it is weaker and less criminal than accuse.
- allege
- Allege is formal and means claim without proof yet; accuse more directly names a wrongdoer.
- indict
- Indict is a narrow legal term for formally charging someone through a legal process, mainly American.
Opposites
Word family
- accusation noun
- A claim that someone did something wrong.
- accusatory adjective
- Expressing blame or the feeling that someone is guilty.
- accusingly adverb
- In a way that expresses blame.
- accuser noun
- A person who says someone else did wrong.
Commonly confused: accuse or charge? accuse or blame?
accuse vs charge
Charge usually means an official legal step by police or a court; accuse is broader and may happen outside court.
accuse vs blame
Blame can be about responsibility for a mistake; accuse suggests wrongdoing, often a rule, duty, or law was broken.
Practice
Choose the correct sentence.
Choose one answer.
Accuse is followed by of + -ing: accuse him of lying. 'To lie' cannot follow accuse, and for/about do not fit this pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “accuse”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.