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单词 fault
释义

Definition of fault in English:

fault

noun fɒltfɔːltfɔlt
  • 1An unattractive or unsatisfactory feature, especially in a piece of work or in a person's character.

    my worst fault is impatience
    Example sentencesExamples
    • I fell in love with this character despite his obvious faults.
    • The civility with which they acknowledge their faults is a positive characteristic, one associated with real culture.
    • Does your main character have faults of his own?
    • Whatever its faults, the book appears to be a chick magnet.
    • Of course a possible variation of the tragic concept would allow a character to have a fault which leads to consequences far more dire than he deserves.
    • I know that's one of my worst faults: being too polite, even when I shouldn't be.
    • I do this far too often, and it's probably my worst fault.
    • But throughout the book the occasional faults matter little against the poetry's terrible aliveness.
    • There are many faults in my character but sitting indoors fiddling with html code while the sun shines and the birds sing is not among them.
    • Character faults and foibles surface slowly and are dealt with compassionately.
    • That was one of her worst faults, she felt an urge to find out everything about everybody.
    • Jealousy is reputed to be one of their worst faults, but Taureans are no more inclined to jealousy than any of the other signs.
    • While there are some glaring faults in character and plot, it is a mostly enjoyable trip with some very nice eye candy.
    • We may reflect that we all suffer from faults of character, or fail, if severely tempted, to resist temptation.
    • He's a complex character with many faults and makes mistakes.
    • However, it's not enough to overcome the book's faults.
    • If you made a car with as many problems, faults and features and some software I could mention, it would fail.
    • The only fault in the character is one of writing, not acting.
    • I do not know the faults of your character, nor do I think you know mine.
    • I have seen some of the worst faults of the world.
    Synonyms
    flaw, failing, deficiency, weakness, weak point, weak spot, shortcoming, fallibility, frailty, infirmity, foible, inadequacy, limitation
    flaws, faults, faultiness, irregularity, abnormality, distortion, deformity, malformation, misshapenness
    1. 1.1 A break or other defect in an electric circuit or piece of machinery.
      a fire caused by an electrical fault
      Example sentencesExamples
      • The blaze was caused by a fault on an electric extractor fan and the brigade has now issued the family with smoke alarms.
      • Problems on the railways were further compounded by electrical faults at Oxenholme on Sunday and Monday.
      • They believe the fire was started by a cigarette butt or an electrical fault.
      • The problems have been attributed to computer software failure and electrical faults.
      • Time stood still for beer-lovers on campus last week, as the beer-taps at Eastside broke down due to an electrical fault.
      • Investigators found cigarettes, a box of disposable lighters and an empty bottle of whisky in her flat, but no evidence of any electrical or gas faults.
      • It cost €162,186 last year to carry out standard maintenance and repairing electrical type faults on public lights in the county.
      • All power supply circuits are protected by a ground fault detection system to prevent overloads and short circuits.
      • The alarm was raised around 6.45 pm after an electrical fault caused the machine to ignite at the property in Hermes Way.
      • It is believed the cause of the fire was an electrical fault in the wiring of an electric immersion heater.
      • But fire investigators found a number of other electrical faults and fire risks in the house, an inquest in Bradford was told yesterday.
      • These included everything from brake and electrical faults to corrosion of the load-bearing points on their chassis.
      • They say faults could lead to electric shocks or a risk of fire.
      • The problem, affecting 26 lights, was due to a circuit fault and was fixed by EDF Energy staff by September 30th.
      • It was also known to have a history of power and electrical faults.
      • The testing ranged from correcting simulated electrical faults on a Mack truck to fixing ABS breaks and earth-moving equipment.
      • If there is a fault in the computer power supply, or if the electric socket is wired incorrectly, the computer chassis can become live and give a fatal electric shock.
      • He dismissed speculations that the fire was ignited by electrical faults or caused by foul play.
      • Over 85 per cent of all fire deaths occur in the home, and up to four per cent of fire deaths in London are caused by electrical wiring or appliance faults.
      • Forensic scientists said the cause of the blaze was a build up of fluff in the dryer, which ignited the machine, and not an electrical fault, the inquest heard.
      Synonyms
      defect, flaw, imperfection, snag
      error, mistake, inaccuracy, oversight, blunder, gaffe, slip
      Computing bug
      informal glitch, gremlin, slip-up, boob, boo-boo, clanger, howler, foul-up, snarl-up
      British informal cock-up
    2. 1.2 A misguided action or habit.
      the fault of the keen therapist is to start to intervene during the assessment phase
      Example sentencesExamples
      • I felt very emotional during the service, my lip trembling on several occasions, and I slipped into my usual fault of speaking softly when that happens.
      • Indeed, if Monica has a fault, it's an excessively trusting nature, a habit of putting loyalty before sense.
      Synonyms
      defect, failing, imperfection, flaw, blemish, shortcoming, weakness, weak point, weak spot, frailty, foible, vice, limitation, lack, deficiency, Achilles heel, chink in one's armour
    3. 1.3 (in tennis and similar games) a service of the ball not in accordance with the rules.
      Example sentencesExamples
      • All tosses should be hit: if they throw the ball up, it's going to be a fault if they catch it.
    4. 1.4usually faults (in showjumping) a penalty point imposed for an error.
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Ben showed great determination and skill over both courses putting up seven faults in show-jumping and a superb clear over the cross-country course.
      • The pair had a rail down at the double combination to finish with four faults in a time of 41.72 seconds.
      • At this level the riders are not timed, but penalties are awarded for faults such as refusal to jump or knocking down a fence.
      • Torano scored four faults for one rail down at the sixth fence and finished with a time of 41.148 seconds.
      • Ward scored four faults on each mount with Sasha getting the higher placing based on a better time over the 15-jump course.
      • That decision brought him home with no jumping faults, but garnered him 3.2 time faults for a final score of 50.41.
      • No one was coming in from there without time faults.
  • 2mass noun Responsibility for an accident or misfortune.

    if books were not selling, it wasn't the fault of the publishers
    it was his fault she had died
    Example sentencesExamples
    • It's not their fault that the rules are archaic.
    • Not all SEOs are bad, but if you fail to research and you buy bad services that is the fault of the buyer.
    • That fact, however, does not, in my judgment, acquit the claimant of any responsibility or fault for the accident that so arises.
    • It isn't my fault these characters have a mind of their own.
    • But fault was still a feature in many divorce cases, since irretrievable breakdown had to be shown in one of five ways.
    • These signs will provide some recognition for road victims who died through no fault of their own.
    • These 18 people died through no fault of their own.
    • Most of the time, a fall in popularity is the own fault of the game developers.
    • I admit that some of the antagonism between myself and various health services has been my fault.
    • Sorry, but it's not my fault you don't service Minneapolis.
    • The officer replied saying it was not his fault but the rules were that we have not got enough points.
    • Any horrible things that happen to these hapless characters are my fault!
    • If users happened to be trading pirated music it was no more their fault than it's the fault of the postal service if people mail home-taped cassettes to one another.
    • But it wasn't all my fault; the computer had again malfunctioned, and I was actually up at almost 15,000 feet.
    • Maybe it's my own fault for reading books that don't feature an elf or an alien on the cover.
    • Or perhaps it is the fault of the central character, Oliver himself.
    • Through no fault of their own, these defendants were not trained in the regulations that govern the demolition of chimneys.
    • The organisation does not compensate uninsured drivers who are involved in accidents and hurt through no fault of their own.
    • I never really got into it, though I gather that was more my fault than the game's.
    • He said that the availability of harmful material on the internet was no more the fault of the internet service provider than it was of the personal computer being used.
    Synonyms
    responsibility, liability, culpability, blameworthiness, guilt
    accountability, answerability
    informal rap
  • 3Geology
    An extended break in a rock formation, marked by the relative displacement and discontinuity of strata on either side of a particular plane.

    a landscape broken by numerous faults
    as modifier the fault plane dips northwards
    Example sentencesExamples
    • Transform faults, on the other hand, slide horizontally against one another.
    • Most transform faults are found on the ocean floor.
    • Unlike ridges and trenches, transform faults offset the crust horizontally, without creating or destroying crust.
    • Questions have also been raised over the possibility of a earthquake fault line nearby.
    • Iranian leaders have promised to rebuild the town, which is on a major earthquake fault line.
verb fɒltfɔːltfɔlt
  • 1with object, usually with negative Criticize for inadequacy or mistakes.

    her superiors could not fault her dedication to the job
    you cannot fault him for the professionalism of his approach
    Example sentencesExamples
    • Of course, the group is composed of ‘creative types’ so you can't fault them for being creative with the truth.
    • We were beaten fair and square but I can't fault the lads for effort.
    • I cannot fault the arithmetic logic that as the population increases, so should the number of representatives in Parliament.
    • Still, we can hardly fault the school for its pessimism.
    • The intentions were good, which is why Brooke couldn't really fault him.
    • They were wrong, but you can't fault their logic.
    • In a keenly fought contest, neither team could be faulted for the lack of effort.
    • Governments are rightly faulted for their dismal economic performance.
    • Ultimately they love their cats and I can't fault them for that.
    • While I can't fault her for professionalism, at the very least I would have expected a smile, or, really, any show of emotion at all.
    • Nor do I fault them for the work they've done in exposing the rot.
    • So he can't fault us for raising these questions now.
    • I can't fault you for what you thought was the truth.
    • But critics fault military leaders for discouraging such actions and failing to present alternatives.
    • You could hardly fault Smith for wallowing in the music and the magic of this remarkable moment.
    • Still, you can't really fault the lady with the torch on this one.
    • So I don't fault him for his toughness and perhaps his arrogance.
    • One can hardly fault them for not having foreseen this shift.
    • A correspondent rightly faults me for not giving the direct quotation.
    • Hence, it is difficult to fault him for taking part in the decision.
    Synonyms
    find fault with, find lacking
    criticize, attack, censure, condemn, impugn, reproach, reprove, run down, take to task, haul over the coals
    complain about, quibble about, carp about, moan about, grouse about, grouch about, whine about, arraign
    informal knock, slam, hammer, lay into, gripe about, beef about, bellyache about, bitch about, whinge about, nitpick over, pick holes in, sound off about
    British informal slag off, have a go at, give some stick to, slate, rubbish
    1. 1.1archaic no object Do wrong.
      the people of Caesarea faulted greatly when they called King Herod a god
      Example sentencesExamples
      • She faulted, and the linesman, as ever, shouted ‘out’.
      • Each time she faulted, she would silently curse herself as the wrong note amplified itself in the empty hall.
  • 2be faultedGeology
    (of a rock formation) be broken by a fault or faults.

    the continental crust has been thinned and faulted as a result of geological processes
    Example sentencesExamples
    • The seismic data show faulting of the subsurface sediments, possibly as dikes were injected into the center of the basin.
    • Does lithology account for the very different patterns of faulting in the Permian sandstones and dolostones?
    • At the other extreme, reverse faulting could cause the pattern of exhumation and basin inversion.
    • The original form of these basins has been modified by subsequent faulting, Red Sea rift flank uplift, and erosion.
    • The structural relations of these formations are complicated by extensive thrust faulting.

Phrases

  • at fault

    • 1Responsible for an undesirable situation; in the wrong.

      we recover compensation from the person at fault
      Example sentencesExamples
      • It is wrong, and the person committing the crime is entirely at fault.
      • It is not always the players who are at fault and referees must he accountable.
      • In my mind, I knew that I wasn't at fault, but that didn't stop me feeling deeply responsible.
      • Let's just hope we eventually have a clear picture of went wrong and who was at fault.
      • If anyone is at fault in this situation, it's the restaurateur who has chosen a wine that may or may not be good.
      • If both have been at fault then both should be held responsible.
      • The public demands that someone is held to account for these things no matter who is at fault.
      • Meanwhile, the officials at fault try to discharge their public duty by denying responsibility.
      • I think the local government officials were still deeply at fault in some ways.
      • The second exception to the general rule occurs when a party is at fault in employing wrong or defective procedures.
      Synonyms
      to blame, blameworthy, blameable, censurable, reproachable
    • 2Defective.

      he suspected that his calculator was at fault
      Example sentencesExamples
      • It is not the mechanism of A-levels which is at fault but, rather, the conscious decision to change the way they are marked.
      • Such behaviour sounds scarcely credible, but I'm sure memory isn't at fault here.
      • If one pedal felt right and the other wrong then the pedal is probably at fault.
      • He said there may be a charge, but if it's their equipment at fault there won't be a charge.
  • find fault

    • Make an adverse criticism or objection, sometimes unfairly.

      he finds fault with everything I do
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Its hard for a critic not to find fault, kind of removes the point really.
      • He was never satisfied and found fault with everything.
      • I've no doubt some will, but losers always find fault in every thing and whinge and bawl on almost every thing.
      • Nobody can find fault with those who want to protest in public.
      • She even found fault with the way he performed household chores.
      • Elders often found fault with young people for watching objectionable movies or reading pornographic books.
      • Anyone who found fault with his behaviour or values was ‘middle-class’ or ‘common’.
      • It is all too easy to criticise or find fault in what others do.
      • Certainly envy seeks to spoil it by finding fault and criticising every blemish.
      • He often complained that she never left him alone and found fault with everything he did.
      Synonyms
      fault, find lacking
  • — to a fault

    • Displaying the specified commendable quality to an almost excessive extent.

      you're kind and generous to a fault
      Example sentencesExamples
      • She's beautiful, intelligent, strong, generous to a fault, kind, and the list goes on.
      • For all that, he could be very charming - he told great stories, had a voracious appetite for arts and culture, and was often generous to a fault.
      • You are loyal to a fault to your friends, merciless to your enemies.
      • He can be alternately naïve, guarded, generous to a fault and miserable - perky and jumpy one moment and depressing the next.
      • When I was in high school, my honors English teacher once said to me that my writing was ‘concise to a fault.’
      • At church, he hovered around Ruth like a fly, attentive to a fault.
      • She was generous to a fault and belonged to a generation of people who never counted the cost of community involvement but gave themselves wholeheartedly to the overall good.
      • He was generous to a fault: invite him to dinner, and he would come proffering a box of chocolates the size of the coffee-table.
      • Unlike most of the places I've been, however, these villagers were more controlled and polite to a fault.
      • Nevertheless, incumbent officeholders, candidates, and aspirants are pragmatic to a fault, and their main concern is with winning elections.
      Synonyms
      excessively, unduly, immoderately, overly, in the extreme, out of all proportion, overmuch, needlessly

Origin

Middle English faut(e) 'lack, failing', from Old French, based on Latin fallere 'deceive'. The -l- was added (in French and English) in the 15th century to conform with the Latin word, but did not become standard in English until the 17th century, remaining silent in pronunciation until well into the 18th.

  • false from Old English:

    Along with default (Middle English), fail (Middle English), and fault (Middle English), false comes from Latin fallere ‘to deceive’. A false dawn is a light which in Eastern countries is briefly seen about an hour before sunrise. The expression, the translation of an Arabic phrase, is often used to describe a promising situation which has, or is likely to, come to nothing.

Rhymes

assault, Balt, exalt, halt, malt, salt, smalt, vault
 
 

Definition of fault in US English:

fault

nounfôltfɔlt
  • 1An unattractive or unsatisfactory feature, especially in a piece of work or in a person's character.

    my worst fault is impatience
    Example sentencesExamples
    • I fell in love with this character despite his obvious faults.
    • We may reflect that we all suffer from faults of character, or fail, if severely tempted, to resist temptation.
    • But throughout the book the occasional faults matter little against the poetry's terrible aliveness.
    • The civility with which they acknowledge their faults is a positive characteristic, one associated with real culture.
    • I do this far too often, and it's probably my worst fault.
    • He's a complex character with many faults and makes mistakes.
    • However, it's not enough to overcome the book's faults.
    • While there are some glaring faults in character and plot, it is a mostly enjoyable trip with some very nice eye candy.
    • Character faults and foibles surface slowly and are dealt with compassionately.
    • I have seen some of the worst faults of the world.
    • If you made a car with as many problems, faults and features and some software I could mention, it would fail.
    • I do not know the faults of your character, nor do I think you know mine.
    • The only fault in the character is one of writing, not acting.
    • I know that's one of my worst faults: being too polite, even when I shouldn't be.
    • Jealousy is reputed to be one of their worst faults, but Taureans are no more inclined to jealousy than any of the other signs.
    • Does your main character have faults of his own?
    • Of course a possible variation of the tragic concept would allow a character to have a fault which leads to consequences far more dire than he deserves.
    • There are many faults in my character but sitting indoors fiddling with html code while the sun shines and the birds sing is not among them.
    • Whatever its faults, the book appears to be a chick magnet.
    • That was one of her worst faults, she felt an urge to find out everything about everybody.
    Synonyms
    flaw, failing, deficiency, weakness, weak point, weak spot, shortcoming, fallibility, frailty, infirmity, foible, inadequacy, limitation
    flaws, faults, faultiness, irregularity, abnormality, distortion, deformity, malformation, misshapenness
    1. 1.1 A break or other defect in an electrical circuit or piece of machinery.
      a fire caused by an electrical fault
      Example sentencesExamples
      • All power supply circuits are protected by a ground fault detection system to prevent overloads and short circuits.
      • The problems have been attributed to computer software failure and electrical faults.
      • They say faults could lead to electric shocks or a risk of fire.
      • The alarm was raised around 6.45 pm after an electrical fault caused the machine to ignite at the property in Hermes Way.
      • Time stood still for beer-lovers on campus last week, as the beer-taps at Eastside broke down due to an electrical fault.
      • He dismissed speculations that the fire was ignited by electrical faults or caused by foul play.
      • The blaze was caused by a fault on an electric extractor fan and the brigade has now issued the family with smoke alarms.
      • It cost €162,186 last year to carry out standard maintenance and repairing electrical type faults on public lights in the county.
      • But fire investigators found a number of other electrical faults and fire risks in the house, an inquest in Bradford was told yesterday.
      • These included everything from brake and electrical faults to corrosion of the load-bearing points on their chassis.
      • If there is a fault in the computer power supply, or if the electric socket is wired incorrectly, the computer chassis can become live and give a fatal electric shock.
      • The problem, affecting 26 lights, was due to a circuit fault and was fixed by EDF Energy staff by September 30th.
      • Forensic scientists said the cause of the blaze was a build up of fluff in the dryer, which ignited the machine, and not an electrical fault, the inquest heard.
      • Problems on the railways were further compounded by electrical faults at Oxenholme on Sunday and Monday.
      • Investigators found cigarettes, a box of disposable lighters and an empty bottle of whisky in her flat, but no evidence of any electrical or gas faults.
      • It was also known to have a history of power and electrical faults.
      • Over 85 per cent of all fire deaths occur in the home, and up to four per cent of fire deaths in London are caused by electrical wiring or appliance faults.
      • The testing ranged from correcting simulated electrical faults on a Mack truck to fixing ABS breaks and earth-moving equipment.
      • It is believed the cause of the fire was an electrical fault in the wiring of an electric immersion heater.
      • They believe the fire was started by a cigarette butt or an electrical fault.
      Synonyms
      defect, flaw, imperfection, snag
    2. 1.2 A misguided or dangerous action or habit.
      it has been the great fault of our politicians that they have all wanted to do something
      Example sentencesExamples
      • I felt very emotional during the service, my lip trembling on several occasions, and I slipped into my usual fault of speaking softly when that happens.
      • Indeed, if Monica has a fault, it's an excessively trusting nature, a habit of putting loyalty before sense.
      Synonyms
      defect, failing, imperfection, flaw, blemish, shortcoming, weakness, weak point, weak spot, frailty, foible, vice, limitation, lack, deficiency, achilles heel, chink in one's armour
    3. 1.3 (in tennis and similar games) a service of the ball not in accordance with the rules.
      Example sentencesExamples
      • All tosses should be hit: if they throw the ball up, it's going to be a fault if they catch it.
    4. 1.4usually faults (in show jumping) a penalty point imposed for an error.
      Example sentencesExamples
      • That decision brought him home with no jumping faults, but garnered him 3.2 time faults for a final score of 50.41.
      • Ben showed great determination and skill over both courses putting up seven faults in show-jumping and a superb clear over the cross-country course.
      • The pair had a rail down at the double combination to finish with four faults in a time of 41.72 seconds.
      • No one was coming in from there without time faults.
      • Torano scored four faults for one rail down at the sixth fence and finished with a time of 41.148 seconds.
      • At this level the riders are not timed, but penalties are awarded for faults such as refusal to jump or knocking down a fence.
      • Ward scored four faults on each mount with Sasha getting the higher placing based on a better time over the 15-jump course.
  • 2Responsibility for an accident or misfortune.

    it was his fault she had died
    an ordinary man thrust into peril through no fault of his own
    Example sentencesExamples
    • Not all SEOs are bad, but if you fail to research and you buy bad services that is the fault of the buyer.
    • Sorry, but it's not my fault you don't service Minneapolis.
    • Or perhaps it is the fault of the central character, Oliver himself.
    • I never really got into it, though I gather that was more my fault than the game's.
    • But it wasn't all my fault; the computer had again malfunctioned, and I was actually up at almost 15,000 feet.
    • He said that the availability of harmful material on the internet was no more the fault of the internet service provider than it was of the personal computer being used.
    • It isn't my fault these characters have a mind of their own.
    • The organisation does not compensate uninsured drivers who are involved in accidents and hurt through no fault of their own.
    • Maybe it's my own fault for reading books that don't feature an elf or an alien on the cover.
    • If users happened to be trading pirated music it was no more their fault than it's the fault of the postal service if people mail home-taped cassettes to one another.
    • It's not their fault that the rules are archaic.
    • The officer replied saying it was not his fault but the rules were that we have not got enough points.
    • I admit that some of the antagonism between myself and various health services has been my fault.
    • These signs will provide some recognition for road victims who died through no fault of their own.
    • That fact, however, does not, in my judgment, acquit the claimant of any responsibility or fault for the accident that so arises.
    • These 18 people died through no fault of their own.
    • Most of the time, a fall in popularity is the own fault of the game developers.
    • Through no fault of their own, these defendants were not trained in the regulations that govern the demolition of chimneys.
    • But fault was still a feature in many divorce cases, since irretrievable breakdown had to be shown in one of five ways.
    • Any horrible things that happen to these hapless characters are my fault!
    Synonyms
    responsibility, liability, culpability, blameworthiness, guilt
  • 3Geology
    An extended break in a body of rock, marked by the relative displacement and discontinuity of strata on either side of a particular surface.

    Example sentencesExamples
    • Iranian leaders have promised to rebuild the town, which is on a major earthquake fault line.
    • Questions have also been raised over the possibility of a earthquake fault line nearby.
    • Transform faults, on the other hand, slide horizontally against one another.
    • Unlike ridges and trenches, transform faults offset the crust horizontally, without creating or destroying crust.
    • Most transform faults are found on the ocean floor.
verbfôltfɔlt
[with object]
  • 1Criticize for inadequacy or mistakes.

    her colleagues and superiors could not fault her dedication to the job
    you cannot fault him for the professionalism of his approach
    Example sentencesExamples
    • We were beaten fair and square but I can't fault the lads for effort.
    • One can hardly fault them for not having foreseen this shift.
    • So I don't fault him for his toughness and perhaps his arrogance.
    • They were wrong, but you can't fault their logic.
    • The intentions were good, which is why Brooke couldn't really fault him.
    • Still, we can hardly fault the school for its pessimism.
    • Hence, it is difficult to fault him for taking part in the decision.
    • Nor do I fault them for the work they've done in exposing the rot.
    • But critics fault military leaders for discouraging such actions and failing to present alternatives.
    • So he can't fault us for raising these questions now.
    • A correspondent rightly faults me for not giving the direct quotation.
    • Ultimately they love their cats and I can't fault them for that.
    • While I can't fault her for professionalism, at the very least I would have expected a smile, or, really, any show of emotion at all.
    • Governments are rightly faulted for their dismal economic performance.
    • Of course, the group is composed of ‘creative types’ so you can't fault them for being creative with the truth.
    • You could hardly fault Smith for wallowing in the music and the magic of this remarkable moment.
    • I cannot fault the arithmetic logic that as the population increases, so should the number of representatives in Parliament.
    • In a keenly fought contest, neither team could be faulted for the lack of effort.
    • Still, you can't really fault the lady with the torch on this one.
    • I can't fault you for what you thought was the truth.
    Synonyms
    find fault with, find lacking
    1. 1.1archaic no object Do wrong.
      the people of Caesarea faulted greatly when they called King Herod a god
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Each time she faulted, she would silently curse herself as the wrong note amplified itself in the empty hall.
      • She faulted, and the linesman, as ever, shouted ‘out’.
  • 2be faultedGeology
    (of a rock formation) be broken by a fault or faults.

    rift valleys where the crust has been stretched and faulted
    Example sentencesExamples
    • The original form of these basins has been modified by subsequent faulting, Red Sea rift flank uplift, and erosion.
    • The seismic data show faulting of the subsurface sediments, possibly as dikes were injected into the center of the basin.
    • At the other extreme, reverse faulting could cause the pattern of exhumation and basin inversion.
    • The structural relations of these formations are complicated by extensive thrust faulting.
    • Does lithology account for the very different patterns of faulting in the Permian sandstones and dolostones?

Phrases

  • at fault

    • 1Responsible for an undesirable situation or event; in the wrong.

      we recover compensation from the person at fault
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Let's just hope we eventually have a clear picture of went wrong and who was at fault.
      • It is not always the players who are at fault and referees must he accountable.
      • It is wrong, and the person committing the crime is entirely at fault.
      • Meanwhile, the officials at fault try to discharge their public duty by denying responsibility.
      • The public demands that someone is held to account for these things no matter who is at fault.
      • If anyone is at fault in this situation, it's the restaurateur who has chosen a wine that may or may not be good.
      • In my mind, I knew that I wasn't at fault, but that didn't stop me feeling deeply responsible.
      • I think the local government officials were still deeply at fault in some ways.
      • If both have been at fault then both should be held responsible.
      • The second exception to the general rule occurs when a party is at fault in employing wrong or defective procedures.
      Synonyms
      to blame, blameworthy, blameable, censurable, reproachable
    • 2Mistaken or defective.

      he suspected that his calculator was at fault
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Such behaviour sounds scarcely credible, but I'm sure memory isn't at fault here.
      • If one pedal felt right and the other wrong then the pedal is probably at fault.
      • He said there may be a charge, but if it's their equipment at fault there won't be a charge.
      • It is not the mechanism of A-levels which is at fault but, rather, the conscious decision to change the way they are marked.
  • find fault

    • Make an adverse criticism or objection, sometimes unfairly or destructively.

      he finds fault with everything I do
      Example sentencesExamples
      • Certainly envy seeks to spoil it by finding fault and criticising every blemish.
      • He often complained that she never left him alone and found fault with everything he did.
      • Nobody can find fault with those who want to protest in public.
      • Anyone who found fault with his behaviour or values was ‘middle-class’ or ‘common’.
      • It is all too easy to criticise or find fault in what others do.
      • Its hard for a critic not to find fault, kind of removes the point really.
      • She even found fault with the way he performed household chores.
      • Elders often found fault with young people for watching objectionable movies or reading pornographic books.
      • I've no doubt some will, but losers always find fault in every thing and whinge and bawl on almost every thing.
      • He was never satisfied and found fault with everything.
      Synonyms
      fault, find lacking
  • — to a fault

    • (of someone who displays a particular commendable quality) to an extent verging on excess.

      you're kind, caring and generous to a fault
      Example sentencesExamples
      • You are loyal to a fault to your friends, merciless to your enemies.
      • At church, he hovered around Ruth like a fly, attentive to a fault.
      • He can be alternately naïve, guarded, generous to a fault and miserable - perky and jumpy one moment and depressing the next.
      • He was generous to a fault: invite him to dinner, and he would come proffering a box of chocolates the size of the coffee-table.
      • She's beautiful, intelligent, strong, generous to a fault, kind, and the list goes on.
      • When I was in high school, my honors English teacher once said to me that my writing was ‘concise to a fault.’
      • She was generous to a fault and belonged to a generation of people who never counted the cost of community involvement but gave themselves wholeheartedly to the overall good.
      • For all that, he could be very charming - he told great stories, had a voracious appetite for arts and culture, and was often generous to a fault.
      • Unlike most of the places I've been, however, these villagers were more controlled and polite to a fault.
      • Nevertheless, incumbent officeholders, candidates, and aspirants are pragmatic to a fault, and their main concern is with winning elections.
      Synonyms
      excessively, unduly, immoderately, overly, in the extreme, out of all proportion, overmuch, needlessly

Origin

Middle English faut(e) ‘lack, failing’, from Old French, based on Latin fallere ‘deceive’. The -l- was added (in French and English) in the 15th century to conform with the Latin word, but did not become standard in English until the 17th century, remaining silent in pronunciation until well into the 18th.

 
 
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更新时间:2024/9/21 17:46:20