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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Talk Like Shakespeare Day, List 4
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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
They accuse Hans S of luring her into a secluded area beneath the fortress, known as the General von Aster room after a 19th-Century Prussian general.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
The four states in the Oakland trial accuse Meta of violating their consumer protection laws, in addition to a federal law that protects children’s data, known as COPPA.
From Barron's ● Aug. 10, 2026
The 48-year-old lawyer has defended underworld figures, among them Alex Saab, a Colombian businessman whom U.S. officials accuse of laundering money for then-Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
“You can’t just go and accuse Amina like that! I already told you, you can trust her with anything.”
From "Amina's Voice" by Hena Khan
The suit accuses the company of violating California’s Fair Employment and Housing Act by not making accommodations for her.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 14, 2026
Apple, for its part, accuses OpenAI’s head of hardware Tang Tan, a former vice president of design at Apple, of using his knowledge of unreleased Apple products to extract information from job candidates.
From Barron's ● Aug. 7, 2026
Jane Doe’s original suit accuses the publisher of negligence for failing to fact-check and verify the statements in Griffin’s memoir.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 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
But then the king falsely accuses his wife of betraying him.
From "The Marvels" by Brian Selznick
In 2013, multiple media outlets accused Kentucky Republican Sen. Rand Paul of plagiarizing in his speeches, newspaper column and his 2012 book from a variety of sources, including Wikipedia.
From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026
In 2025, a jury awarded nearly $49 million to a man in a coma after he was hit by a city garbage truck driver, who was accused of making an “unsafe right turn.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
Both countries were optimistic of a deal earlier in the week, but talks collapsed on Friday night after both sides accused the other of making last-minute changes.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
Brazil was also impacted under a separate global tariff regime against US trading partners accused of using forced labor.
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
A few more implied that she had accused Kate and Leah of fraud.
From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock
Fighting has continued in North and South Kivu despite repeated ceasefire commitments, with the government and M23 accusing each other of violations.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
"It's like being fired," Leandro Hidalgo, a delivery driver and union representative, told AFP, accusing the platforms of "financial slavery."
From Barron's ● Aug. 18, 2026
Yet controversy dogs it: The term “virtue signaling” has not entered the common parlance yet, but on U.S. college campuses and elsewhere, Mr. Simon is confronted by protesters accusing him of defying the U.N. ban.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
France has summoned the American ambassador to Paris after the diplomat, Charles Kushner, wrote a letter to French President Emmanuel Macron accusing the country of not doing enough to combat antisemitism.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 12, 2026
Rafael hurried off, glad to be away from Lupita’s accusing eyes.
From "Lupita Mañana" by Patricia Beatty
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.
