Synonyms

accuse

American

[uh-kyooz] / əˈkjuz /

verb (used with object)

to charge with the fault, offense, or crime (usually followed byof ).

He accused him of murder.

Synonyms:

impeach, incriminate, indict, arraign

Antonyms:

exonerate
to find fault with; blame.

Antonyms:

exonerate

verb (used without object)

to make an accusation.

accuse British

/ əˈkjuːz /

verb

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

"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

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

Inflected Forms

Participles

Conjugated Forms

Present

Past

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.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

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

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

Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!

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:

accuse accuses accused accusing

Klobuchar: I’m going to begin my questions now, but I think people should have their facts straight before they accuse someone of being a “dirtbag” and not get the teams wrong.

From Slate ● Sep. 29, 2026

In their first broadcast interview since their son's passing, the Vigar family accuse the Football Association of doing "nothing" after previous similar incidents.

From BBC ● Sep. 25, 2026

Bonta canceled a session last month after prelimary details and ground rules leaked, prompting him to accuse Paramount of “playing games” by violating a confidentiality agreement and spreading misinformation.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 16, 2026

They accuse doomers of being a front for companies seeking to use regulation to crush rivals.

From Barron's ● Sep. 15, 2026

They did not accuse him of plotting against the United States.

From "Zeitoun" by Dave Eggers

Uncivil’s website accuses dialogue programs of paying students to participate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026

Apple’s lawsuit accuses former employees Tang Tan and Chang Liu, who both joined OpenAI, of taking Apple’s confidential information.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 1, 2026

And early next year, a trial is scheduled to begin in a case that accuses Amazon of illegally maintaining a monopoly in online retail.

From Barron's ● Aug. 31, 2026

The complaint accuses Amazon of secretly charging advertisers more in so-called "second price" auctions, whereby prospective advertisers expect to pay one cent more than the next highest bidder for each bid they win.

From BBC ● Aug. 31, 2026

“It is I, Tenorio Trementina, who accuses her!” he shouted and jumped forward so that I could plainly see his ugly face.

From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya

European authorities have accused Russia of targeting other ships in waters off Bulgaria.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 16, 2026

Some Jewish leaders accused him of breaking a pledge he made during last year’s comptroller race to restart buying Israeli bonds and said it could add further fuel to a rise in antisemitism.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026

Riyadh on Thursday accused Iran of encouraging the escalation, saying it continued to arm and train the group.

From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026

A company has been accused of promising jobs in the healthcare sector which never materialised, leaving people thousands of pounds out of pocket.

From BBC ● Oct. 15, 2026

“That’s really harsh, Pelicarnassus,” said the gopher, the one who had accused Zeke of cheating on a test they hadn’t even taken yet.

From "Chronicles of a Lizard Nobody" by Patrick Ness

"They're going to continue accusing you... making false accusations."

From Barron's ● Oct. 12, 2026

The filing noted that Parton “loved and cared for her family very deeply,” while accusing her nephew of threatening to damage her legacy and “inflict reputational and economic harm.”

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 12, 2026

But in the 1800s, no one could make a YouTube video accusing another creator of copying their slipper pattern, or debate English vs.

From Slate ● Oct. 11, 2026

Katz and Junger sued, accusing their ex-bosses of discrimination and retaliation, and held a press conference.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 5, 2026

I shouted in self-defense and pointed an accusing finger at him.

From "Bless Me, Ultima" by Rudolfo Anaya

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023