at fault

at fault — 形容詞

1. being the person or thing that caused a problem, accident, or mistake to happen

1.形容詞B2
釋義

有過失

造成問題或錯誤而應受責備

being the person or thing that caused a problem, accident, or mistake to happen — and therefore deserving of blame

例句

The insurance report found that the truck driver was at fault for the crash.

保險報告認定卡車司機對這起車禍有過失。

be at fault for [something]

Emiko admitted she was at fault when the glass display broke during the event.

Emiko 承認自己有過失，活動期間她把玻璃展示櫃弄破了。

常見搭配
  • be at fault
  • find someone at fault
  • admit being at fault
  • the party at fault
  • at fault for the accident
同義詞
  • responsible

    broader and more formal; can describe ongoing duties, not just one-off blame

  • to blame

    interchangeable with 'at fault' in most everyday contexts; slightly more direct

  • culpable

    formal and legalistic; implies moral or legal wrongdoing

  • in the wrong

    less formal; focuses on being mistaken rather than causing harm

反義詞
  • blameless

    did nothing to cause the problem; free of any fault

  • in the clear

    informal; no longer suspected or blamed after an investigation

文法句型

be at fault

find [someone] at fault

be at fault for [something]

用法筆記

Almost always used after a linking verb (be, seem, appear) or verbs like find, consider, and deem. It is not used before a noun — you cannot say 'an at-fault driver' (use the hyphenated form 'at-fault' as an attributive adjective instead). In legal and insurance contexts it carries a formal, binding meaning about liability.

常見錯誤

He was in fault for the broken window.
He was at fault for the broken window.
the fixed phrase uses 'at', never 'in'.
The court found the man guilty for the car accident.
The court found the man at fault for the car accident.
'guilty' is for criminal charges in a court of law; 'at fault' is for responsibility in accidents and everyday mistakes.