Accuse means to say that someone has done something wrong or illegalagainst the law; not allowed by legal rules. It is the word you use when a person or group makes a formalofficial and serious, not casual or informal or serious claim of wrongdoingbad or illegal behavior; an act that should not happen.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-18. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /ə-KYOOZ/
Easy pronunciation: uh-KYOOZ (approximate spelling).
Stress: Stress the second syllable.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-18. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Accuse Meaning
to claim that someone did something bad
Part of speech: verb
Definition: to say that someone has done something wrong or illegal
Example: The neighbors accused the man of spousal abuse.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- charge — A direct substitute in this sense, especially in formal or legal contexts.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-18. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Accuse
Meaning 2
to make a formal claim against someone, often in legal language
Part of speech: verb
Definition: to bring a formal accusation against someone
Example: The prosecutor charged the suspect with theft.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- criminate — An older or rarer legal term that can overlap with this sense.
- impeach — Can mean to accuse formally, especially in older or legal usage, but it is less common and often has a special political meaning.
- incriminate — Related to accusing in legal contexts, but it more often means to show or suggest guilt rather than simply accuse.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: inaccurate — correction needed. Checked: 2026-10-18. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Accuse Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- charge
formal or legal accusation
- criminate
- impeach
- incriminate
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-18. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- Do not confuse accuse with blame, which is more general and does not always mean making a direct accusation.
- Do not use incriminate as a simple everyday synonym for accuse; it often means to suggest guilt or provide evidence of guilt.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-18. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does accuse mean?
Accuse means to say that someone did something wrong, illegal, or harmful.
What are common synonyms for accuse?
The strongest common synonym is charge. In more formal or legal uses, words like impeach or incriminate may be related, but they are not always exact substitutes.
Is accuse the same as blame?
Not exactly. Blame can be broader, while accuse usually means making a direct claim that someone did something wrong.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-18. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.