accuse

Everyday

1. To accuse someone is to say that they did something wrong or bad. tree →
2. In a court, to accuse someone is to say officially that they broke the law; the accused is the person on trial. tree →

In the lessons

In everyday life, stories and lessons about fairness it is used when someone blames another person: you should not accuse someone without proof. In law and history it is used for crimes and trials. The pattern is «accuse someone of something / of doing something».

Examples

• She accused her brother of eating the last biscuit. tree →
• Don't accuse anyone until you know the facts. tree →
• The man was accused of stealing a bike. tree →
• He felt sad when his friend accused him of lying. tree →
• The accused stood up in court. tree →
• In the story, the wolf was wrongly accused. tree →
• Nobody likes to be accused of cheating. tree →
• He was accused of nothing less than murder. tree →

Note

Regular verb: accused, accusing. Use «of»: «accuse him of lying» (not «for lying» — that is «blame him for»). Noun: accusation. Being accused does not mean being guilty; you need proof.

In Jewish tradition

Here Satan means "the adversary," a heavenly accuser, not the devil of other faiths.

Interpretation. In Zechariah's vision the accuser is silenced and the high priest Joshua is cleansed, which tradition reads as God's mercy on Israel.

Examples

• And he showed me Joshua the high priest standing before the angel of the LORD, and Satan standing at his right hand to accuse him. (Prophets ZEC.3.1, JPS 1917) tree →

Note

Regular verb: accused, accusing. Use «of»: «accuse him of lying» (not «for lying» — that is «blame him for»). Noun: accusation. Being accused does not mean being guilty; you need proof.