accuse

[ uh-kyooz ]

See synonyms for accuse on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object),ac·cused, ac·cus·ing.

to charge with the fault, offense, or crime (usually followed by of): He accused him of murder.
to find fault with; blame.

verb (used without object),ac·cused, ac·cus·ing.

to make an accusation.

Origin of accuse

1250–1300; Middle English ac(c)usen<Old French acuser<Latin accūsāre to call to account (ac-ac- + -cūs-, combining form of caus-;see cause)

Other words for accuse

1	arraign, indict; incriminate, impeach

See synonyms for accuse on Thesaurus.com

Opposites for accuse

1, 2

exonerate

See antonyms for accuse on Thesaurus.com

Other words from accuse

ac·cus·a·ble, adjective
ac·cus·a·bly, adverb
ac·cus·ant, noun
ac·cus·ing·ly, adverb
in·ter·ac·cuse, verb (used with object), in·ter·ac·cused, in·ter·ac·cus·ing.
non·ac·cus·ing, adjective
pre·ac·cuse, verb (used with object), pre·ac·cused, pre·ac·cus·ing.
re·ac·cuse, verb (used with object), re·ac·cused, re·ac·cus·ing.
self-ac·cus·ing, adjective
un·ac·cus·a·ble, adjective
un·ac·cus·ing, adjective
un·ac·cus·ing·ly, adverb

Words that may be confused with accuse

accuse , allege, charge

Words Nearby accuse

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use accuse in a sentence

There are those who accuse their games of not really being video games at all, which is ludicrous.
‘Game of Thrones’ Interactive FanFiction: Whoops, My Friend Was Speared in the Throat | Alec Kubas-Meyer | December 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Certainly sounds like something people would accuse a king of doing.
Why We Can’t Quit Calling Presidents ‘Kings’ | Kevin Bleyer | November 22, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
To accuse him of doing so is certainly an effective way to end a conversation.
Feminism Has Gone Too Far | Lizzie Crocker | November 21, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
U.S. intelligence agencies accuse the Khorasan veterans of plotting attacks against commercial airliners in the West.
ISIS and Al Qaeda Ready to Gang Up on Obama's Rebels | Jamie Dettmer | November 11, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
And he says that those who accuse Napoleon of killing off democracy misunderstand politics in 19th century Europe.
Napoleon Was a Dynamite Dictator | J.P. O’Malley | November 7, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST

Could he be conscious of all this, and not excuse the unsteady youth—accuse himself?
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV. | Various
He was the last man in the world to accuse of saying or doing anything merely for the sake of effect.
Raw Gold | Bertrand W. Sinclair
The blind man, missing his money, suspected who was the thief; but to accuse him would serve no purpose.
The Book of Anecdotes and Budget of Fun; | Various
Apart from the general charge of being successful—whatever that amounts to—you accuse me of two things.
First Plays | A. A. Milne
It required peculiar boldness, at that hour, to accuse Robespierre and Danton of crime.
Madame Roland, Makers of History | John S. C. Abbott

British Dictionary definitions for accuse

accuse

/ (əˈkjuːz) /

verb

to charge (a person or persons) with some fault, offence, crime, etc; impute guilt or blame

Origin of accuse

C13: via Old French from Latin accūsāre to call to account, from ad- to + causa lawsuit

Derived forms of accuse

accuser, noun
accusing, adjective
accusingly, adverb

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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