be at fault

be at fault — idiom

1. to be the person, group, or thing that caused a problem, accident, or mistake an

1.慣用語B1
釋義

to be the person, group, or thing that caused a problem, accident, or mistake and therefore deserves blame.

例句

The delivery driver admitted he was at fault for the traffic accident.

admit + be at fault (accepting blame)

After checking the engine, Mira concluded that a faulty spark plug was at fault.

inanimate thing + be at fault

同義詞
  • to blame

    more common in informal spoken English; interchangeable with 'at fault' in most contexts

  • responsible

    broader and more neutral; can describe duty or accountability, not just blame

  • guilty

    stronger connotation of moral or legal wrongdoing; implies intention or negligence

反義詞
  • innocent

    clear opposite in legal or moral contexts

  • blameless

    emphasises that no wrongdoing occurred

文法句型

be + at fault (for + noun/gerund)

用法筆記

Used as a predicate after the verb 'be'. The subject can be a person, an organization, or an inanimate thing — whatever or whoever caused the problem. The preposition is always 'for', never 'of'.

常見錯誤

❌He is at fault of the accident.
✅He is at fault for the accident.
💡The correct preposition after 'at fault' is 'for', not 'of'.
❌He had fault for the accident.
✅He was at fault for the accident.
💡This expression always uses 'be', never 'have'.