accuse

accuse — verb

1. to state that a person did something bad, dishonest, or illegal, especially in a

1.verbtransitiveB2
Definition

to state that a person did something bad, dishonest, or illegal, especially in a way that invites blame or punishment.

Example

Police accused two teenagers of breaking windows at the bus station.

accuse + person + of + -ing

Several workers accused the manager of hiding safety problems in the factory.

accuse + person + of + -ing

Common collocations
  • accuse someone of theft
  • accuse the company of fraud
  • publicly accuse
  • wrongly accuse
  • accuse a neighbor
Synonyms
  • blame

    broader and more everyday; not always a public or formal claim

  • charge

    stronger legal tone; often used in court or police contexts

  • allege

    formal; stresses that the claim may still need proof

  • incriminate

    focuses on evidence making someone seem guilty

Antonyms
  • defend

    to speak or argue in support of someone

  • clear

    to show that someone did not do the wrong act

  • exonerate

    formal; to officially free someone from blame

Grammar Patterns

accuse + person + of + noun

accuse + person + of + -ing

Usage Note

Usually takes a person or group as the object, followed by of + noun or -ing. The act comes after of: accuse Anaya of theft, not accuse the theft.

Common Mistakes

She accused about the noise from next door.
She complained about the noise from next door.
accuse needs a person or group as object, not 'about'.
Police accused the theft.
Police accused the neighbor of the theft.
accuse takes the person blamed, then the crime after 'of'.

2. used in the phrase 'stand accused' for being publicly named as the person respon

2.verbC1
Definition

used in the phrase 'stand accused' for being publicly named as the person responsible for a bad or illegal act.

Example

The school nurse stands accused of stealing medicine from the clinic.

stand accused of + -ing

Three guards stood accused after cash disappeared from the museum office.

Common collocations
  • stand accused of murder
  • stand accused of fraud
  • stand accused in court
  • stand publicly accused
Synonyms
  • be charged

    more official and often tied to a formal legal process

  • be blamed

    broader and less formal; not always about crime or public claims

  • be suspected

    weaker; people think it may be true, but may not openly say it

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

stand accused

stand accused of + noun/-ing

Usage Note

Almost only appears in the fixed expression stand accused, especially in news reports and legal writing. Unlike sense 1, the focus is on the person's public position after the claim is made, not on the person making the claim.

Common Mistakes

The boy stood accused his sister of cheating.
The boy accused his sister of cheating.
'stand accused' describes being blamed, not doing the blaming.
He stood accused, so he was guilty.
He stood accused, but the court later cleared him.
being accused does not prove that the claim is true.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

'Accuse' means saying that a person did something wrong, often in a direct or public way. 'Blame' is broader and more everyday: you can blame someone for a late train, a broken cup, or a bad decision, even when no formal claim is involved. 'Charge' is stronger and more legal, especially when police or a court are part of the story. 'Allege' is formal and careful; it often appears in news writing when the truth has not yet been proved. 'Incriminate' shifts the focus from the speaker to evidence that makes a person seem guilty. Compare: 'The coach accused a player of cheating,' 'Dad blamed me for the mess,' 'Police charged the driver with fraud,' 'The paper alleged corruption,' and 'The text messages incriminated the banker.'

accuse ↗blame ↗charge ↗allege ↗incriminate ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • accuse someone of
  • be accused of
  • stand accused of

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Accuse came into English through Old French from Latin 'accusare', a verb used for making a complaint or bringing a case against someone. The Latin form is linked to the idea of taking a legal case toward another person. English kept that public, blame-focused meaning, so today 'accuse' is still used when someone openly says another person did something wrong, dishonest, or illegal.