Accuse
/əˈkjuːz/
verbBeginnerVery CommonGeneral
Idiom
Meaning
Question
Definitions
1
To formally or informally charge someone with wrongdoing.
/əˈkjuːz/
verbnegativeBeginner
General
To charge someone with a fault or offense.
The police accused him of murder.
💡 Simply: To say someone did something wrong.
More Examples
2
My neighbor accused me of damaging his fence.
How It's Used
Legal
"The defendant was accused of theft."
Everyday Conversation
"She accused him of lying."
Idioms & expressions
accuse someone of something
To formally or informally charge someone with a specific wrongdoing.
"He accused her of stealing his money."
From Old French acuser, from Latin accusare, from accusare "to bring an accusation against," from ad- "to" + causare "to plead a cause."
The word 'accuse' has been used in legal and everyday contexts for centuries, maintaining a consistent meaning.
Memory tip
Think of 'cause' - accusing someone is to bring a 'cause' against them.
Practice
Base: accuse
accuse
Usage
40%Spoken
60%Written