accuse — to claim that someone has done something wrong or is guilty of something
Part of speech: VERB
Definition: to claim that someone has done something wrong or is guilty of something
Pronunciation (IPA): /əˈkjuːz/
Example Sentences
- My cat accused me of being late with dinner by giving me the stink eye.
- Don't accuse me of eating all the cookies when there's chocolate on your face!
- The witness accused the defendant of running the red light.
accuse
VERB[/əˈkjuːz/]
to claim that someone has done something wrong or is guilty of something

She accused her friend too quickly — before knowing the full truth.

They accused him immediately — turning suspicion into a case against him. (A CASE + YOU → to accuse someone is to build a CASE against YOU → accusation turns suspicion into direct blame)

They accused him of misuse — but he insisted there was a reasonable excuse.
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Old French 'accuser', derived from Latin 'accusare', which combines 'ad-' (to) and 'causa' (cause, lawsuit). The word originally meant to bring a legal charge or lawsuit against someone.
Breakdown
ad- (to) + causa (cause, lawsuit) + -e (verb ending) = accuse
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“My cat accused me of being late with dinner by giving me the stink eye.”
“Don't accuse me of eating all the cookies when there's chocolate on your face!”
“The witness accused the defendant of running the red light.”
“She was wrongly accused of cheating on the exam.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
Related
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