- [uncountable]
the responsibility for something wrong that has happened or been done 责任；过错；过失 Why should I say sorry when it's not my fault? 不是我的错为什么要我道歉？ It's nobody's fault. 谁都没有错。 He believes that the product’s poor image is partly the fault of the press. 他认为该产品的不良形象部分是媒体的错。 - fault (that)…
It was his fault that we were late. 我们迟到责任在他。 - fault for doing something
It's your own fault for being careless. 你粗心大意是你自己的过失。 - fault for something
He would not admit fault for the collision. 他不愿承认碰撞的过错。 - at fault
I think the owners are at fault (= responsible) for not warning us. 我认为业主没有提醒我们是有责任的。 Many people live in poverty through no fault of their own. 很多人生活贫困并非他们自己有什么过错。
Extra ExamplesHaving made an error of judgement she was not without fault in the matter. 由于判断失误，她在这件事上难辞其咎。 It was my entire fault. I ruined everything. 这完全是我的错误。我把一切都搞砸了。 It's all your own fault, you know. 你明白吗，这全是你自己的错。 It's his own stupid fault his car was stolen—he should have kept it locked. 他的汽车被偷完全是他自己犯下的愚蠢错误 － 他应该把车锁上。 Many of the soldiers died through his fault. 因为他的过错，许多战士丢了性命。 The fault lay in the structure of the economy. 错误在于经济结构。 The fault lay not with her but with her manager. 这不是她的错，出错的是她的经理。 The party at fault in a court case usually pays the other party's legal costs. 在诉讼案件中，有过错的一方通常要为另一方支付诉讼费。 helping people who, through no fault of their own, have lost their homes 帮助那些并非因自己的过错而无家可归的人 the absence of fault on the part of the prosecution 起诉方无罪
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- stupid
- entire
- lie with somebody
- at fault
- through somebody’s fault
- without fault
- …
- be all somebody’s fault
- be entirely somebody’s fault
- be largely somebody’s fault
- …
- [countable]
a bad or weak aspect of somebody’s character 弱点；缺点 He's proud of his children and blind to their faults. 他为孩子们感到自豪，对他们的缺点视而不见。 I love her for all her faults (= in spite of them). 尽管她有这么多缺点，我还是爱她。 I think my worst fault is impatience. 我认为我最大的缺点是不耐烦。
Extra ExamplesThe children were told to pray that their moral faults would be overcome. 孩子们被告知祈祷他们的道德错误将被克服。 She is blind to all her son's faults. 她对儿子的缺点一概视而不见。 He viewed independence as a serious fault in a young girl. 他认为独立是一个年轻女孩的严重缺点。 We all have our faults. 我们都有各自的弱点。 She was prepared to overlook his faults. 她已经做好准备，对他的缺点视而不见。 No one had ever pointed out my faults to my face before. 以前从未有人当面指出我的缺点。 My biggest fault was my laziness. 我最大的缺点是懒惰。 Incorrectness in speech was considered a great fault in a gentleman. 对一位绅士而言，言辞不得体被认为是一大缺点。 I have to accept and realize my faults. 我不得不承认并接受我的缺点。 Her great fault was that she thought too much of herself. 她的一大缺点是过于自私。 For all her faults she was a great woman. 尽管她有缺点，她仍是一位伟大的女性。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- big
- great
- moral
- …
- have
- be blind to
- overlook
- …
- fault in
- for all somebody’s faults
- to a fault
- [countable]
something that is wrong or not perfect; something that is wrong with a machine or system that stops it from working correctly 缺陷；毛病；故障 The book's virtues far outweigh its faults. 这本书优点远远大于缺点。 a mechanical/technical fault 机械/技术故障 The fire was caused by an electrical fault. 这次火灾是电路故障引起的。 The system, for all its faults, is the best available at the moment. 这个系统虽然缺点不少，却是现有最好的一个。 - fault in something
a major fault in the design 设计中的一个重大失误 We're trying to correct the faults in the program. 我们正设法修正程序中的毛病。 - fault with something
a common fault with this type of machine 这类机器都有的缺陷 - without fault
The film is not without fault. 这部电影并非没有缺点。
Extra ExamplesThere seemed to be some fault with the cooling system. 制冷系统好像出了点毛病。 The healthcare system, for all its faults, is far better than ever before. 这个医疗体系虽然有不少缺点，但比过去好多了。 If a fault develops in the equipment, you can call us 24 hours a day. 如果设备出了故障，你24小时都可以打电话找我们。 Broadcasting was suspended because of a technical fault in the transmitter. 由于发射机的技术故障，广播暂停了。 A major design fault was discovered in the latest model of the car. 在最新型号的汽车中发现了一个主要的设计缺陷。 You should report any fault directly to the phone company. 出现任何毛病，都应该直接向电话公司反映。 When she tested the recorder she could find no fault with it. 她测试录音机时并没有发现什么毛病。 They've found a major fault with the electrical system. 他们已经发现一处重大的电力系统问题。 There is a basic fault in the design of the engine. It cannot be fixed. 发动机的设计有一个根本缺陷，修不了。 These are just a few of the glaring faults that ruined the movie for me. 对我来说，这些仅仅是将这部电影搞砸的几个明显缺陷。 The only real fault of the book is its looseness of structure. 这本书唯一真正的缺陷是结构松散。 The engine has a serious fault. 发动机有严重的缺陷。 The car soon developed another fault. 不久汽车出现了另一故障。 Of course, minor mechanical faults sometimes occur. 当然，有时会出现小的机械故障。 For all its faults, we love this city. 尽管有种种不足，我们仍热爱这座城市。 Diabetes is caused by a fault in the insulin production of the body. 糖尿病是由体内胰岛素分泌失调引起的。 a structural fault 结构缺陷
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- major
- minor
- dangerous
- …
- have
- develop
- look for
- …
- occur
- lie in something
- fault in
- fault with
- for all its faults
- [countable]
a mistake made when serving 发球失误 He has served a number of double faults in this set. 他在这盘发球出现了一些双误。 Even tennis champions sometimes serve double faults. 即使是网球冠军有时也会双发失误。
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- double
- foot
- serve
- [countable]
a place where there is a break that is longer than usual in the layers of rock in the earth’s crust （地壳岩层的）断层 the San Andreas fault 圣安德烈亚斯断层 a fault line 断层线
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadjective- earthquake
- geological
- line
- scarp
- system
- …
responsibility责任
in somebody’s character人品
something wrong错事
in tennis网球
geology地质
Word OriginMiddle English faut(e) ‘lack, failing’, from Old French, based on Latin fallere ‘deceive’. The -l- was added (in French and English) in the 15th cent. to conform with the Latin word, but did not become standard in English until the 17th cent., remaining silent in pronunciation until well into the 18th.
Idioms
find fault (with somebody/something)
to look for and discover mistakes in somebody/something; to complain about somebody/something 找茬儿；挑错；挑剔；抱怨 My mother did nothing but find fault with my manners. 母亲只是一味说我没有礼貌。 She was always finding fault with his manners. 她总是挑他礼仪方面的问题。
to a fault