charge

Compared meaning: a claim that someone did wrong (noun).

比较义项：指控（名词）。

• charge 本词

  More formal and official, typically a specific criminal accusation brought by police or prosecutors; strongly collocates with 'press', 'file' or 'drop charges'.

  更正式、更官方，通常指警方或检方提出的具体罪名指控；常与“press”“file”或“drop charges”搭配使用。

  Prosecutors filed formal charges against the mayor for accepting bribes.

  检方对市长提出了收受贿赂的正式指控。

• accusation

  A more general term for any claim that someone did wrong, formal or not; often used for personal or informal disputes, paired with 'make', 'level' or 'deny'.

  更泛化，指任何“某人做错事”的说法，不论正式与否，常用于个人或非正式的争执，与“make”“level”或“deny”搭配。

  His accusation that she lied to the boss caused a big argument.

  他指责她对老板撒了谎，这引发了一场激烈的争吵。

Both words mean a claim that someone did wrong. Charge is more formal, an official accusation from police or prosecutors ('press charges', 'drop charges'). Accusation is more general, formal or informal ('make an accusation'). This card does not compare charge meaning 'a fee'.

两词都指“说某人做了错事”的指控，但语气正式程度不同：charge 更正式、常指警方或检方提出的正式罪名，习惯搭配“press/file/drop charges”；accusation 泛指任何指责，不论是否正式，常搭配“make/level/deny an accusation”。这里不比较 charge 的“费用、收费”和“充电”等其他义项。

Compared meaning: to formally accuse someone of wrongdoing (verb).

比较义项：正式指控某人做错事（动词）。

• charge 本词

  More formal and often official or legal; typically used by police or authorities, followed by 'with' plus the offense (charge someone with theft).

  更正式，常用于官方或法律语境，多指警方或当局提出指控，后接with加罪名（如charge someone with theft，指控某人犯盗窃罪）。

  The police charged him with robbery after the investigation.

  调查结束后，警方指控他犯抢劫罪。

• accuse

  More general and can be formal or informal, used in everyday situations as well as legal ones; typically followed by 'of' plus the wrongdoing.

  更通用，可用于正式或非正式场合，日常生活和法律语境都适用，后接of加不当行为（如accuse someone of lying，指责某人撒谎）。

  He didn't want to accuse his friend without any real proof.

  他不想在没有确凿证据的情况下指责他的朋友。

Both words mean to formally say someone did wrong. Charge is more formal, often official or legal, followed by 'with' ('charge someone with theft'). Accuse is more general, followed by 'of' ('accuse someone of lying'). Charge also means 'to ask for money', not compared here.

这两个词都表示指控某人做了错事，但charge更正式，常用于警方或官方的正式指控，常与with连用；accuse更通用，日常或非正式场合都可使用，常与of连用。这里不比较charge的“收费”义项。

Compared meaning: to give someone a duty or task (verb).

比较义项：使承担责任/任务（动词）。

• charge 本词

  Formal and often official — used when someone is properly given a duty or responsibility, with no negative feeling about it being unwanted.

  语气正式，常用于正式场合，表示某人被正式赋予某项职责或任务，不带“不情愿承担”的负面意味。

  The bank formally charged her with managing the new downtown branch.

  银行正式指派她负责管理市中心的新分行。

• saddle

  Informal and negative — implies someone is unfairly burdened with a heavy or unwanted task, often as a side effect of someone else's decision.

  语气非正式且带负面色彩，暗示某人被不公平地强加了沉重或不情愿承担的任务，往往是他人决定所带来的附带后果。

  The new policy unfairly saddled small business owners with extra paperwork.

  新政策不公平地让小企业主承担了额外的文书工作负担。

Both words can mean to give someone a duty or task. Charge is formal and neutral: someone is properly given a responsibility. Saddle is informal and negative: someone unfairly gets a heavy, unwanted task. Charge's 'price' sense and saddle's 'horse seat' sense are not compared.

这两个词在“使某人承担责任或任务”这一意义上相近，但语气不同：charge 语气正式、中性，指正式指派某人负责某事；saddle 语气非正式且带负面色彩，强调使人承受不情愿的沉重负担。这里不比较 charge 的“收费”义（如 charge extra for delivery）和 saddle 的“马鞍；给马装鞍”义（如 tighten the saddle）。