ACCUSE

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does accuse mean? 

• ACCUSE (verb)
  The verb ACCUSE has 2 senses:

1. bring an accusation against; level a charge against

2. blame for, make a claim of wrongdoing or misbehavior against

  Familiarity information: ACCUSE used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ACCUSE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they accuse    ... he / she / it accuses   
Past simple: accused   
Past participle: accused   
-ing form: accusing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Bring an accusation against; level a charge against

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

accuse; criminate; impeach; incriminate

Context example:

The neighbors accused the man of spousal abuse

Hypernyms (to "accuse" is one way to...):

accuse; charge (blame for, make a claim of wrongdoing or misbehavior against)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "accuse"):

reproach; upbraid (express criticism towards)

arraign (accuse of a wrong or an inadequacy)

recriminate (return an accusation against someone or engage in mutual accusations; charge in return)

charge; file; lodge (file a formal charge against)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s somebody
Somebody ----s somebody of something

Derivation:

accusal; accusation (a formal charge of wrongdoing brought against a person; the act of imputing blame or guilt)

accusative; accusatory (containing or expressing accusation)

accuser (someone who imputes guilt or blame)

accusive (containing or expressing accusation)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Blame for, make a claim of wrongdoing or misbehavior against

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

accuse; charge

Context example:

he charged the director with indifference

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "accuse"):

blame; fault (put or pin the blame on)

accuse; criminate; impeach; incriminate (bring an accusation against; level a charge against)

asperse; besmirch; calumniate; defame; denigrate; slander; smear; smirch; sully (charge falsely or with malicious intent; attack the good name and reputation of someone)

indict (accuse formally of a crime)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence example:

They want to accuse the prisoners

Derivation:

accusal (a formal charge of wrongdoing brought against a person; the act of imputing blame or guilt)

accusation (an assertion that someone is guilty of a fault or offence)

accusative; accusatory (containing or expressing accusation)

accuser (someone who imputes guilt or blame)

accusive (containing or expressing accusation)

 Context examples 

He pointed an accusing finger at the whiskey glass which the other was refilling.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

I had gone up to ask him about you, and he was very offensive; accused me of coaxing you away from the service of the firm, and that sort of thing.

(The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

I expected every moment that my master would accuse the Yahoos of those unnatural appetites in both sexes, so common among us.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

Then the peasants were vexed that the small peasant should have thus outwitted them, wanted to take vengeance on him, and accused him of this treachery before the mayor.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

She sometimes begged Justine to forgive her unkindness, but much oftener accused her of having caused the deaths of her brothers and sister.

(Frankenstein, by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley)

“Come, come,” said Holmes, kindly, “it is human to err, and at least no one can accuse you of being a callous criminal.”

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

That was to some extent in favour of the accused, as when seen quarrelling he was face to face with his father.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Oh! long, long afterwards, I saw that face rise up before me, with its momentary look, not wondering, not accusing, not regretting.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

When you accused me of hurting her I lost my grip of myself.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Bid the chancellor and the sub-chancellor lead in the brothers according to age, together with brother John, the accused, and brother Ambrose, the accuser.

(The White Company, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)