accius
B1 (Intermediate)Formal to Neutral. Common in legal, news, and everyday contexts of serious blame.
Definition
Meaning
To state that someone has done something wrong or committed a crime.
To formally charge someone with an offense in a court of law; to blame or hold responsible for a fault, problem, or undesirable situation.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Implies a direct, often serious allegation. Can be used with both legal and non-legal blame. Often followed by 'of' + noun/gerund.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. The legal process following an accusation may have different terminology (e.g., 'charged with' vs. 'indicted for'), but the verb 'accuse' itself is identical in use.
Connotations
Equally strong in both dialects. Carries a serious tone of allegation.
Frequency
Equally common in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[Subject] accuse [Object] of [Noun Phrase/Gerund][Subject] be accused of [Noun Phrase/Gerund] (passive)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “Point the finger at someone”
- “Throw the book at someone (more severe, for charging/punishing)”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
"Shareholders accused the board of mismanaging funds."
Academic
"The historian was accused of misinterpreting the primary sources."
Everyday
"Don't accuse me of forgetting the keys when you had them last!"
Technical
"In the lawsuit, the plaintiff accuses the manufacturer of a design defect."
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- The MP was accused of misleading parliament.
- They accused their neighbour of making too much noise.
American English
- The prosecutor accused the defendant of perjury.
- He accused the city council of wasting taxpayer money.
adverb
British English
- 'It was you,' she said accusingly.
- He looked at me accusingly.
American English
- She spoke accusingly during the deposition.
- The report points accusingly at several failed policies.
adjective
British English
- The accusatory tone of the email made her uncomfortable.
- He gave her an accusing look.
American English
- She faced the committee with an accusatory statement.
- His accusing finger pointed directly at the manager.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- He accused me of taking his pen.
- Why are you accusing him?
- The teacher accused the student of copying the homework.
- They were falsely accused of the crime.
- The opposition party accused the minister of a serious breach of ethics.
- She felt accused by the implication in his words.
- The journalist's piece accusatorily delineated the corporation's history of environmental negligence.
- He stands accused of masterminding a complex fraud scheme.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a CUE in court: The lawyer stands up to ACCUSE the suspect, giving the CUE for the trial to begin. (ac-CUSE).
Conceptual Metaphor
BLAME IS AN OBJECT THAT CAN BE THROWN/LEVELED ('level an accusation'), or a BURDEN ('the weight of the accusation').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Do not confuse with 'обвинять' which is a direct equivalent. Be careful with the preposition: 'accuse OF' = 'обвинять В', not 'обвинять за'.
- Avoid using 'accuse' for minor scolding; it's stronger than 'ругать'.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect preposition: 'He accused me for stealing.' (Correct: 'He accused me OF stealing.')
- Using it for very mild blame: 'My mum accused me of leaving my shoes untidy.' (Better: 'My mum told me off for...' or 'blamed me for...').
Practice
Quiz
Which preposition correctly follows 'accuse'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
'Accuse' is more formal and direct, often implying a specific allegation. 'Blame' is more general and common in everyday situations for assigning responsibility for something bad.
Very rarely. The structure 'accuse [someone]' is incomplete. It almost always requires 'of + something' (e.g., 'She accused him.') sounds incomplete; it needs 'She accused him of lying.').
No. While common in legal contexts, it is used for any serious allegation of wrongdoing in personal, professional, or public life.
The main noun is 'accusation'. The person who accuses is an 'accuser'. The adjective is 'accusatory'.