accuse
Americanverb (used with object)
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accuses,
present (3rd person singular)
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accused,
past participle, past
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accusing
present participle
verb (used without object)
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accuses,
present (3rd person singular)
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accused,
past participle, past
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accusing
present participle
verb
Usage
What does accuse mean? To accuse someone means to say that they are guilty of a crime or offense. This can happen in everyday situations, such as children accusing each other of not sharing. But accuse is also used in a legal context in the sense of accusing a person of a crime, especially in an official way. Accuse is often followed by the person being accused, the word of, and the specific wrongdoing, as in The teacher accused Ted of cheating. It’s also commonly used in a passive way, as in Ted was accused of cheating. When you accuse someone of something, you’re making an accusation. A person who accuses is called an accuser (especially when the accusation involves a crime). The adjective accused means charged with a crime or other offense. Accused is also used as a noun to refer to a person or people who have been charged with a crime, often as the accused. Statements that suggest or outright say that someone did something wrong can be described as accusatory. Example: If you’re going to accuse them of something that serious, you better have some evidence to back it up.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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accusantnoun
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accusernoun
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interaccuseverb (used with object)
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preaccuseverb (used with object)
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reaccuseverb (used with object)
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accusableadjective
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accusingadjective
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nonaccusingadjective
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self-accusingadjective
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unaccusableadjective
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unaccusingadjective
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accusablyadverb
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accusinglyadverb
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unaccusinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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accusesimple
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accusessimple
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have accusedperfect
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has accusedperfect
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am accusingprogressive
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are accusingprogressive
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is accusingprogressive
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have been accusingperfect progressive
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has been accusingperfect progressive
Past
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accusedsimple
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had accusedperfect
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was accusingprogressive
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were accusingprogressive
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had been accusingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of accuse
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English ac(c)usen, from Old French acuser, from Latin accūsāre “to call to account,” from ac- ac- + cūs-, combining form of causa “case, reason, sake” ( see cause) + āre, infinitive suffix
Explanation
If you charge someone with misdeeds or misconduct, you accuse that person. If the last piece of devil's food cake is missing, your sister may accuse you of eating it — especially if you have chocolate on your mouth. The verb accuse comes from the Latin word accusare, which itself is formed from the roots ad, meaning toward, and causa, reason or lawsuit. "Cause," "excuse," and even "ruse" are all from that same root word. Today, if you're accused of a crime, you may still be headed toward a lawsuit. However, to accuse someone of a crime doesn't necessarily make them guilty — plenty of people have been falsely accused.
Vocabulary lists containing accuse
Wasn't Me: The Lingo of Laying Blame
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Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 4
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Dead End in Norvelt
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Many historians and academics accuse him of twisting history to fit his agenda.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 23, 2026
It is not just parents seeking child support who accuse the CMS of letting them down.
From BBC ● Aug. 17, 2026
Writing to a friend about this bold retrospective, Sand asserts that “the public is too ignoble for me . . . either to accuse myself or to justify myself about anything before it.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Officials accuse Cloth of knowingly taking the investors money for personal uses, including the development of a real estate project in Canada.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026
But then, a cell phone would probably be yet another reason for Mr. Moore to accuse Mamá of neglecting her work.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
A lawsuit filed in federal court on Friday accuses writer and director Taylor Sheridan of stealing the idea for his powerhouse success “Yellowstone” from Lauren J. Salkin, a Virginia-based journalist and screenwriter.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
He accuses professional and college associations of being “fixated” on keeping their sports clean, as if that were a bad thing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
Taipei also accuses Beijing of using a range of "greyzone" methods -- tactics that fall short of an act of war -- including cyberattacks to harass the island.
From Barron's ● Aug. 13, 2026
The lawsuit accuses Blanche and the DOJ of perpetuating “that disgrace” of failing to investigate or hold Epstein accountable before his death.
From Salon ● Aug. 5, 2026
“I have before me an anonymous note,” the High Blade said, “which accuses Honorable Scythe Goddard of malfeasance.”
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
Baldoni denied wrongdoing and accused Lively of concocting false allegations as part of an effort to wrest creative control of the film.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
Investigators assigned to the case were asking some of the accused officers leading questions, which seemed designed to soften their actions, he said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 26, 2026
A grandfather in his 70s, Al-Marimi has been accused of carrying out the attack along with two Libyans who faced a Scottish court in May 2000.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
Both sides have regularly accused the other of alleged abuses and ceasefire violations, often unverifiable by independent parties.
From Barron's ● Aug. 24, 2026
“He accused me of stealing!” said Conor, pointing at Frank.
From "The Missing Mitt (The Hardy Boys: Secret Files, #2)" by Franklin W. Dixon
It is the latest escalation after US-Canada trade talks collapsed late last week, with each side accusing the other of making last-minute demands that were unreasonable.
From BBC ● Aug. 25, 2026
But Bonta abruptly canceled the mediation session, accusing Paramount of “playing games,” leaking details and making misrepresentations about the talks despite agreeing to keep them confidential.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
Novo Nordisk is asking a U.S. court to preliminarily halt rival Eli Lilly from advertising weight-loss drugs, days after accusing the Indianapolis drugmaker of using deceptive ads.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
In 2024, Australian police charged a married Russian-born couple with spying for Moscow, accusing them of accessing national security-related material from the military.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
He extended a hand slowly, like an accusing ghost.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
