ACCUSE • E-FREE TRANSLATION.COM • Definition of Accuse

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/əkjˈuz/ Listen

verb

Accuse v. t. (past & past part. accused; pres. part. accusing)

To charge with, or declare to have committed, a crime or offense; (Law) To charge with an offense, judicially or by a public process; with of; as, to accuse one of a high crime or misdemeanor. "Neither can they prove the things whereof they now accuse me." "We are accused of having persuaded Austria and Sardinia to lay down their arms."

To charge with a fault; to blame; to censure. "Their thoughts the meanwhile accusing or else excusing one another."

To betray; to show. (R.)

Synonyms: To charge; blame; censure; reproach; criminate; indict; impeach; arraign. To Accuse, Charge, Impeach, Arraign. These words agree in bringing home to a person the imputation of wrongdoing. To accuse is a somewhat formal act, and is applied usually (though not exclusively) to crimes; as, to accuse of treason. Charge is the most generic. It may refer to a crime, a dereliction of duty, a fault, etc.; more commonly it refers to moral delinquencies; as, to charge with dishonesty or falsehood. To arraign is to bring (a person) before a tribunal for trial; as, to arraign one before a court or at the bar public opinion. To impeach is officially to charge with misbehavior in office; as, to impeach a minister of high crimes. Both impeach and arraign convey the idea of peculiar dignity or impressiveness.

noun

Accuse n. Accusation. (Obs.)

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Etymology of 'Accuse'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Accuse" Quotes from Famous Books

... in the act," pursued the girl, "of telling you all about it? You dare accuse me of such a thing! I only wish you would carry that tale ...

— There & Back • George MacDonald

... Warwick," Father Rowley began. "My dear Bishop of Warwick, I have now had poor Mousley here for two months. It is not a long time in which to effect a lasting reformation of one who has fallen so often and so grievously, but I think you know me well enough not to accuse me of being too sanguine about drunken priests. I have had too many of them here for that. In his case however I do feel justified in asking you to agree with me in letting him have an opportunity to ...

— The Altar Steps • Compton MacKenzie

... or whether we think that the word "accuse" over-dignifies an attitude toward a quasi-astronomer, or mere figment in a super-dream, our acceptance is that Leverrier ...

— The Book of the Damned • Charles Fort

... migration to Craigenputtock was ultimately suggested to him by the pleasure and dignity of being an undoubted laird, and living among his own, or at least his wife's, lands. In saying this, I do not wish to belittle Carlyle, or to accuse him of what may be called snobbishness. He had no wish to worm himself by slavish deference into the society of the great, but he liked to be able to walk in and say his say there, fearing no man; it was like a huge mirror that reflected ...

— Escape and Other Essays • Arthur Christopher Benson

... exaggerates," he said. "The popular demand of which he spoke is rather mythical. And I should be inclined to accuse him, too, of a friendly attempt to install ...

— The Crossing • Winston Churchill

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