fault

責任、落ち度

したことやしなかったことが原因で、悪い結果を招いた責任。

やさしい英語で： 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.

使い方： be someone’s fault (The delay was my fault.); be at fault (The driver was at fault.)

類義語： blame, responsibility

よく使う表現： my fault, at fault, fault of someone, someone’s fault

欠陥、不具合

機械や計画などがうまく機能しない原因となる問題。

やさしい英語で： 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.

使い方： fault in something (We found a fault in the wiring.)

類義語： defect, flaw, problem

よく使う表現： technical fault, find a fault, fault in something

欠点

人の性格や行動に見られる弱点やよくないところ。

やさしい英語で： 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.

類義語： weakness, flaw, failing

反対語： virtue

よく使う表現： human fault, character fault, someone’s main fault

断層

地中の岩石が割れ、その両側がずれている大きな割れ目。

やさしい英語で： 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.

よく使う表現： active fault, geological fault, fault line

フォルト

テニスやバレーボールで、サーブが規定範囲を外れるなどの反則。

やさしい英語で： 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.

よく使う表現： double fault, foot fault, serve a fault

非難する、とがめる

間違いや欠点があるとして、人や物事を責める。

やさしい英語で： 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?

使い方： fault someone for something/doing something (I cannot fault her for asking questions.)

類義語： criticize, blame

反対語： praise

よく使う表現： fault someone, fault someone’s effort, fault someone for