fault

faute, responsabilité

Responsabilité d’un événement malheureux causé par ce qu’une personne a fait ou n’a pas fait.

En anglais simple : Responsibility for something bad that happened because of what someone did or failed to do.

• It was my fault.
• Who was at fault for the accident?
• She admitted that losing the keys was entirely her fault.

Comment l'utiliser : be someone’s fault (The delay was my fault.); be at fault (The driver was at fault.)

Synonymes : blame, responsibility

Expressions courantes : my fault, at fault, fault of someone, someone’s fault

défaut, panne

Problème dans une machine, un projet ou autre chose qui empêche son bon fonctionnement.

En anglais simple : Something wrong with a machine, plan, or other thing that stops it from working well.

• The car has an electrical fault.
• We found several faults in the plan.
• A technician repaired the fault in the heating system.

Comment l'utiliser : fault in something (We found a fault in the wiring.)

Synonymes : defect, flaw, problem

Expressions courantes : technical fault, find a fault, fault in something

défaut

Point faible dans le caractère ou le comportement d’une personne.

En anglais simple : A weakness in someone’s character or behavior.

• Impatience is his main fault.
• She knows my faults and still likes me.
• We all have faults, so try to be understanding.

Synonymes : weakness, flaw, failing

Contraires : virtue

Expressions courantes : human fault, character fault, someone’s main fault

faille

Grande cassure dans les roches de la Terre dont les deux côtés se sont déplacés l’un par rapport à l’autre.

En anglais simple : A large crack in Earth’s rocks where parts of the ground have moved past each other.

• The town lies near a fault.
• Movement along the fault caused an earthquake.
• Scientists mapped several faults beneath the valley.

Expressions courantes : active fault, geological fault, fault line

faute

Action contraire aux règles du tennis ou du volley, comme un service qui tombe hors de la zone autorisée.

En anglais simple : An action against the rules in tennis or volleyball, such as a serve that lands outside the correct area.

• The umpire called a fault.
• Two faults in a row cost her the point.
• His serve landed outside the line and was a fault.

Expressions courantes : double fault, foot fault, serve a fault

critiquer, reprocher

Reprocher à quelqu’un ou à quelque chose une erreur ou un point faible.

En anglais simple : To criticize someone or something for a mistake or weakness.

• I cannot fault your effort.
• Critics faulted the report for ignoring local people.
• Can you really fault him for wanting a better job?

Comment l'utiliser : fault someone for something/doing something (I cannot fault her for asking questions.)

Synonymes : criticize, blame

Contraires : praise

Expressions courantes : fault someone, fault someone’s effort, fault someone for