fault
- 01 B1 Intermediate
n.responsibility for something bad that has happened.
n.culpability or responsibility for a blameworthy event or failure.
Simple“It was my fault that we missed the train because I forgot my keys.”
In context“The investigators determined that the accident was the fault of the driver, who had ignored several warning signs before the collision.”
Synonyms - 02 B1 Intermediate
n.a mistake in how something is made or a weakness in someone's character.
n.a defect, imperfection, or weakness in a person's character or a physical object.
Simple“The technician found a major fault in the car's electrical system.”
In context“While he was a brilliant strategist, his greatest fault was his inability to listen to the concerns of his subordinates.”
Antonyms - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
n.a large crack in the earth's surface where earthquakes often happen.
n.a fracture in the earth's crust along which significant displacement has occurred.
Simple“The city was built near a major fault line, making it prone to earthquakes.”
In context“Geologists monitored the fault for months, noting a gradual increase in seismic activity that suggested a major shift was imminent.”
- 04 B1 Intermediate
n.a mistake in a game, like hitting the ball out of bounds in tennis.
n.an illegal serve or a similar technical error in sports such as tennis or volleyball.
Simple“He served a double fault and lost the game.”
In context“The umpire called a foot fault, much to the frustration of the player who thought his positioning was perfect.”
- 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to find a reason to criticize someone or something.
v.to find a flaw or reason for criticism in a person, action, or object.
Simple“You cannot fault her hard work, even if the results were not perfect.”
In context“Although the final product was delayed, the board could not fault the design team's attention to detail or their commitment to safety.”
UsageOften used in the negative, such as 'cannot fault'.
Usage fault lines
“It is perhaps a fault of mine, or a fault of how we watch and consume football, that I’ve already made my mind up.”
“This means if it’s your fault and not the Agencia Tributaria 's, then it's unlikely they will pay you the interest.”
From Middle English faute, faulte, from Anglo-Norman faute, Old French faute, from Vulgar Latin fallita (“shortcoming”), feminine of fallitus, in place of Latin falsus, perfect passive participle of fallō (“deceive”). Displaced native Middle English schuld, schuild (“fault”) (from Old English scyld (“fault”)), Middle English lac (“fault, lack”) (from Middle Dutch lak (“lack, fault”)), Middle English last (“fault, vice”) (from Old Norse lǫstr (“fault, vice, crime”)). Compare French faute (“fault, foul”), Portuguese falta (“lack, shortage”) and Spanish falta (“lack, absence”). More at fail, false.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.