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
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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:
Mercedes Formula 1 boss Toto Wolff says critics who accuse the team of bias against George Russell are "brainless".
From BBC ● Oct. 9, 2026
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
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
We didn’t look at Dad, didn’t want to accuse.
From "Educated" by Tara Westover
At Prime Minister's Questions, Kemi Badenoch accuses the government of dithering over the decision, saying the Conservative government first approved it in 2022.
From BBC ● Oct. 21, 2026
Arthur accuses Acton of “lying about her opponent,” Ramaswamy, and of having “lied her entire life,” including about her background.
From Slate ● Oct. 20, 2026
Uncivil’s website accuses dialogue programs of paying students to participate.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 25, 2026
The 230-page lawsuit, filed in a federal court in Northern California, accuses Meta of fraud and false advertising, along with violating other consumer protection laws in various states.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
Luz accuses Ivanito of repeating their mother’s pretentious phrases, of saying things like “The moon glares with a vivid indifference.”
From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García
At one meeting, Daniel Lifschitz, a lawyer and husband of the current candidate, accused the board of flouting its bylaws in picking a vice president.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026
He was accused of serving in Ukraine's armed forces and convicted in a trial in Moscow before being sentenced to six years and 10 months.
From BBC ● Oct. 23, 2026
The podcast’s indefinite hiatus comes shortly after Hila accused her husband of infidelity on her own Instagram account late Thursday night.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 23, 2026
Since the start of Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022, Ukrainian authorities say they have opened thousands of investigations into collaboration with the enemy, and frequently arrest individuals accused of working for Moscow.
From Barron's ● Oct. 23, 2026
“Oh, and your intervention worked so well,” Hodge accused.
From "Found" by Margaret Peterson Haddix
Meghan’s half-sister, Samantha Markle, has also defended their father, accusing their brother Thomas Jr. of fabricating the allegations for financial gain and claiming the computers had been outside their father’s possession for two years.
From Salon ● Oct. 25, 2026
Police interrogated him, raided his home and office before accusing him of plotting against the constitutional order.
From Barron's ● Oct. 21, 2026
The department followed up by announcing a tax-fraud enforcement surge, highlighting dozens of cases accusing swindlers of trying to cheat the government out of a combined $490 million.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026
Ronaldo said in a lengthy statement he had left because Portugal coach Jorge Jesus twice "broke his word", accusing him of an "absolute breach of trust".
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
The men knew that we were accusing them of misconduct, but for the most part they remained civil.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
