fault

Word family  noun fault adjective faultless faulty verb fault adverb faultlessly

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++

Related topics: Geology, Tennis

fault1 /fɔːlt $ fɒːlt/ ●●● S2 W3 noun [countable]  1  responsible for mistake 对错误负责FAULT/BE somebody'S FAULT if something bad that has happened is your fault, you should be blamed for it, because you made a mistake or failed to do something 责任，过错 I’m really sorry – it’s all my fault. 我真的很抱歉——都是我的错。be somebody’s fault (that) It’s your fault we’re late. 我们迟到都怪你。 I didn’t sleep well that night, but it was my own fault. 那天晚上我没有睡好，但这是我自己的问题。be somebody’s fault for doing something It’s my fault for not making your new job clearer. 没把你的新工作解释清楚是我的责任。2  at fault FAULT/BE somebody'S FAULTif someone is at fault, they are responsible for something bad that has happened 有过错；应当负责 The police said that the other driver was at fault. 警方说是另一名司机的责任 。 Some people claim that it is the UN that is at fault. 有些人说联合国负有责任。3  STH wrong with STH 某事物出毛病 a) FAULT/something WRONGsomething that is wrong with a machine, system, design etc, which prevents it from working properly 故障，毛病 a design fault 设计失误fault in It sounds as if there’s a fault in one of the loudspeakers. 听起来好像其中一个扩音器有毛病。 b) FAULT/something WRONGsomething that is wrong with something, which could be improved 〔可以改进的〕缺点，缺陷 SYN flaw There are two serious faults in Hobsbawm’s discussion of nationalism. 霍布斯鲍姆关于民族主义的论述中有两个严重缺陷。 For all its faults (=in spite of its faults) we love this city. 尽管这座城市有各种缺点，我们还是热爱它。 c) FAULT/something WRONGa mistake in the way that something was made, which spoils its appearance 〔有损外观的〕瑕疵fault in The sweater had a fault in it and I had to take it back. 这件毛衣有瑕疵，我只好去商店退货。4  SB’s character 性格CHARACTER/PERSONALITY a bad or weak part of someone’s character 〔性格上的〕缺点，弱点 His worst fault is his arrogance. 他最大的缺点是傲慢。 I may have my faults, but ingratitude is not one of them. 我可能有我的缺点，但我决不会忘恩负义。 For all his faults (=in spite of his faults) he was a good father. 尽管他有缺点，但还是个好父亲。5  through no fault of her/my etc own FAULT/BE somebody'S FAULTused to say that something bad that happened to someone was not caused by them 不是由于她/我等自己的错 Through no fault of our own we are currently two players short. 我们眼下缺两名队员，可这并非我们的错。6  crack 裂缝HEG a large crack in the rocks that form the Earth’s surface 〔地表岩石的〕断层 the San Andreas fault 圣安德烈亚斯断层7  generous/loyal/honest etc to a fault VERYextremely generous, loyal etc 过分大方/忠诚/老实等 Barry’s kind, caring and generous to a fault. 巴里友善、体贴、大方过了头。8. tennis 网球DST a mistake made when a player is serving the ball in tennis 发球失误 → double fault, loyal, → find fault with somebody/something at find1(14) THESAURUS – Meaning 3: something wrong 出错fault a problem in a machine, system, design etc that causes damage or makes it not work properly 故障，毛病The fire was caused by an electrical fault. 火灾是由电气故障引起的。a fault in the engine 引擎故障defect a fault in something such as a product or machine, resulting from the way it was made or designed 〔产品、机器等制造或设计上的〕缺陷Cars are tested for defects before they leave the factory. 汽车出厂前要检查是否有缺陷。weakness a part of a plan, system, or argument that is not as good as the other parts, and makes it likely to fail 〔计划、体系或论点的〕缺点，不足What are the strengths and weaknesses of each method? 每一种方法分别有哪些优缺点？flaw a fault in a plan, system, argument etc, especially one that makes it useless or not effective 瑕疵，缺陷Your argument has a fundamental flaw. 你的论点有一个根本性的错误。There was one major flaw in his suggestion – we didn’t have enough money. 他的建议有个重大漏洞——我们钱不够。bug a fault in a computer program 〔计算机程序中的〕错误,缺陷A bug in the system was quickly fixed. 系统中的一个错误很快就被修复。glitch a small fault in the way something works, that can usually be easily corrected 〔一般不难修复的〕小故障I noticed a small glitch when installing the software. 我在安装软件的时候注意到一个小问题。mistake something that is wrong in someone’s spelling, grammar, calculations etc 〔拼写、语法、计算等的〕错误The article was full of spelling mistakes. 那篇文章里拼写错误到处都是。there’s something wrong with something used when saying that there is a problem in a machine, car etc, but you do not know what it is 某物出了问题There’s something wrong with the computer – it won’t close down. 电脑出了问题——没法关机了。

Examples from the Corpus

fault• I think there's a fault in one of the loudspeakers.• It was a fault of his.• The San Andreas fault runs right through the middle of this valley.• Quality control staff are employed to check for any faults.• Put in this way, management of the economy seems to have been grossly at fault.• It is a character fault, what am I taking about?• They believe an electricity fault was the cause.• Check the ignition system for faults.• She's my best friend and I love her dearly, but she has her faults.• For all his faults, he was a good father.• Denney is aware of his faults.• Despite its faults, the novel is suspenseful.• And he was right, of course, it was all my fault, I was a long-haired hippie agnostic.• The secret of a good relationship is to accept the other person's faults, and not try to make them change.• The rocket launch was delayed because of a technical fault.• In particular this would support litigation which is not the fault of the parties to it, yet involves them in cost.• The fault could be either in the tape or in the VCR.• Moreover, the back limbs of such folds may become detached along major thrust faults to produce nappes.be somebody’s fault for doing something• Somehow, people seem to think it's my fault for letting him in.• If she didn't like it then it was her fault for rocking the boat.• It was his own fault for having been conceited enough to be pleasant to her on the morning of the read-through.• Lugar doesn't accept that Republicans in Congress are principally at fault for lagging U.S. participation in world affairs.• Obviously, the Nimbus pilot was at fault for allowing the other people at the launch point to influence his judgement.• That was your own fault for trying to make me get back into the car.• The message seemed to be that women who are raped are at fault for not having successfully avoided it.• There was nothing wrong with the jumper and legally it is her fault for not checking the size.For all ... faults• For all George's faults he was not a murderer.• However, even Charmley can not avoid the conclusion that Churchill for all his faults was a great man.• Democracy, for all its faults, should continue.• Finally, for all its faults, the summit process does mean that the G8 can be held to account.• Confess your unworthy behaviour and beg his honour's forgiveness for all your faults.• Because Kate, for all her faults real and imagined, was the only person ever to take him at face value.• Yes, people like G.P., for all his faults.• Equally, the unions, for all their faults, remain, perhaps, the last mass organisation in the country.For all ... faults• For all George's faults he was not a murderer.• However, even Charmley can not avoid the conclusion that Churchill for all his faults was a great man.• Democracy, for all its faults, should continue.• Finally, for all its faults, the summit process does mean that the G8 can be held to account.• Confess your unworthy behaviour and beg his honour's forgiveness for all your faults.• Because Kate, for all her faults real and imagined, was the only person ever to take him at face value.• Yes, people like G.P., for all his faults.• Equally, the unions, for all their faults, remain, perhaps, the last mass organisation in the country.fault2 verb [transitive]  CRITICIZEto criticize someone or something for a mistake 找…的缺点，挑剔，指责be faulted on/for something The judge cannot be faulted on his decision. 这位法官的判决无可指责。it is hard/difficult to fault somebody/something You might not like O'Donnel’s arrogance, but it’s hard to fault what he does on the field. 你也许不喜欢奥唐奈的傲慢，但是他在球场上的表现无可挑剔。n Grammar Fault is often used in the passive.→ See Verb table

Examples from the Corpus

fault• Even his serve, which he does not really rate as a weapon, could hardly have been faulted.• The sedimentary rocks, with their coal seams, have been folded and faulted.• The Mars project has been faulted by some scientists who say it has little research value.• Who could fault him for doing what had to be done to protect the lives of potential presidents?• Here again, one must fault Ricci on his treatment of Buddhism.• I couldn't really fault the Stylus 800.• He also faulted them for not checking to make sure that contractors doing business with the city employ women and minorities.• While it is difficult to fault this book, a list of abbreviations would have been a useful addition.it is hard/difficult to fault somebody/something• While it is difficult to fault this book, a list of abbreviations would have been a useful addition.From Longman Business Dictionaryfaultfault /fɔːltfɒːlt/ noun [countable]1MANUFACTURINGsomething that is wrong with a machine, system etc that prevents it from working correctlyfault inSoviet engineers identified 32 design faults in the reactor, any of which could have led to an explosion.2MANUFACTURINGa mistake in the way something is made, that spoils its appearanceSYN FLAWThe sweater had a fault in it and I had to take it back.3LAW the responsibility of a person or organization for damage or injury to someone, or for a criminal actThe borrowers were at fault for signing fraudulent applications.4LAW no-fault used to talk about arrangements where it is not necessary to prove that someone was at fault for the person who was injured or hurt to receive moneyno-fault systems for medical malpractice cases that would provide limited but guaranteed benefitsno-fault auto insuranceOrigin fault1 (1200-1300) Old French faute, from Latin fallere; → FAIL1

fault1 noun →THESAURUS1fault2 verb →n GRAMMAR1LDOCE OnlineChinese  

Business Corpus fault, something your you happened bad has is that if

fault

I

fault¹ S2 W3 /fɔːlt $ fɒːlt/ noun [countable]1.  RESPONSIBLE FOR MISTAKE if something bad that has happened is your fault, you should be blamed for it, because you made a mistake or failed to do something:
    I’m really sorry – it’s all my fault.
    be sb’s fault (that)
    It’s your fault we’re late.
    I didn’t sleep well that night, but it was my own fault.
    be sb’s fault for doing something
    It’s my fault for not making your new job clearer.
2. at fault if someone is at fault, they are responsible for something bad that has happened:
    The police said that the other driver was at fault.
    Some people claim that it is the UN that is at fault.
3.  SOMETHING WRONG WITH SOMETHING
  a. something that is wrong with a machine, system, design etc, which prevents it from working properly:
    a design fault
    fault in
    It sounds as if there’s a fault in one of the loudspeakers.
  b. something that is wrong with something, which could be improved
   SYN  flaw:
    There are two serious faults in Hobsbawm’s discussion of nationalism.
    For all its faults (=in spite of its faults) we love this city.
  c. a mistake in the way that something was made, which spoils its appearance
    fault in
    The sweater had a fault in it and I had to take it back.
4.  SB’S CHARACTER a bad or weak part of someone’s character:
    His worst fault is his arrogance.
    I may have my faults, but ingratitude is not one of them.
    For all his faults (=in spite of his faults) he was a good father.
5. through no fault of her/my etc own used to say that something bad that happened to someone was not caused by them:
    Through no fault of our own we are currently two players short.
6.  CRACK a large crack in the rocks that form the Earth’s surface:
    the San Andreas fault
7. generous/loyal/honest etc to a fault extremely generous, kind etc:
    Barry’s kind, caring and generous to a fault.
8.  TENNIS a mistake made when a player is serving the ball in tennis
⇨ double fault, ⇨ find fault with somebody/something at find¹(14)
     

THESAURUS

(for Meaning 3)

■ something wrong
   ▪ fault a problem in a machine, system, design etc that causes damage or makes it not work properly: The fire was caused by an electrical fault. | a fault in the engine
   ▪ defect a fault in something such as a product or machine, resulting from the way it was made or designed: Cars are tested for defects before they leave the factory.
   ▪ weakness a part of a plan, system, or argument that is not as good as the other parts, and makes it likely to fail: What are the strengths and weaknesses of each method?
   ▪ flaw a fault in a plan, system, argument etc, especially one that makes it useless or not effective: Your argument has a fundamental flaw. | There was one major flaw in his suggestion – we didn’t have enough money.
   ▪ bug a fault in a computer program: A bug in the system was quickly fixed.
   ▪ glitch a small fault in the way something works, that can usually be easily corrected: I noticed a small glitch when installing the software.
   ▪ mistake something that is wrong in someone’s spelling, grammar, calculations etc: The article was full of spelling mistakes.
   ▪ there’s something wrong with something used when saying that there is a problem in a machine, car etc, but you do not know what it is: There’s something wrong with the computer – it won’t close down.

II

fault² verb [transitive usually passive]to criticize someone or something for a mistake:
    The judge cannot be faulted on his decision.
    it is hard/difficult to fault somebody/something
    You might not like O'Donnel’s arrogance, but it’s hard to fault what he does on the field.