accuse
gb/əkjˈuz/ us/əkjˈuz/
B1
English
~ 2200
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B1
action
1
Say someone did something bad
To say that someone did something bad or broke the law.
Usage pattern:
to accuse [someone] of [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes forget to use 'of' after 'accuse', e.g., saying 'accuse someone doing' instead of 'accuse someone of doing'.
Synonyms
allege (Often used when the wrongdoing is claimed but not yet proven; more formal.)
|
charge (More formal and legal, often used in law enforcement contexts.)
Antonyms
defend (To support someone against claims of wrongdoing.)
|
exonerate (To officially state that someone is not guilty of wrongdoing.)
Collocations
accuse falsely
|accuse directly
|accuse publicly
|accuse formally
|accuse someone of
Themes
law
|conflict
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The newspaper accused the mayor of corruption.
- She accused her brother of stealing her phone.
- Several witnesses accused the driver of running the red light.
- They accused him of lying during the meeting.
Learner examples
- I accused my friend of breaking my pen.
- The teacher accused the boy of cheating.
- She accused him of taking her book.
- They accused the man of stealing a car.
Grammar
Dictionary form
accuse
IPA
GB/əkjˈuz/
US/əkjˈuz/
Syllables & stress
ac - cuse (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (cuse)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: accuse
- 3rd Person Singular: accuses
- Present Participle: accusing
- Past: accused
Word family
Forms
accuses
verb
accusing
verb
accused
verb
Core family
accusation
noun B2
accuser
noun
Related words
accusatory
adjective
Expressions
accuse someone of something
1/əkjˈuz sˈʌmwˌʌn əv sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
Say person did a specific bad thing
To say that a person did a particular bad or illegal thing.
Examples
- The lawyer accused the witness of lying under oath.
- He was accused of stealing money from the company.
stand accused of
1/stˈænd əkjˈuzd əv/
fixed phrase
formal
Be officially said to have done wrong
To be officially said to have done something bad or illegal.
Examples
- The politician stands accused of accepting bribes.
- Several officers stand accused of misconduct.