fault

n.

1. An imperfection

   flaw, defect, shortcoming, deficiency; see blemish, defect 2.

2. A moral delinquency

   misdemeanor, weakness, failing, foible, vice, offense, wrongdoing, misdeed, transgression, crime, sin, impropriety, solecism, moral shortcoming, frailty, evil doing, delinquency, trespass, fall from virtue, fall from grace, loss of innocence, misconduct, dereliction, malpractice, malefaction, malfeasance, peccadillo, sins of omission and commission.

3. An error

   blunder, mistake, lapse; see error 1.

4. Responsibility

   liability, accountability, blame; see guilt, responsibility 2.

fault, in this comparison, refers to a definite, although not strongly condemnatory, imperfection in character her only fault is stubbornness; failing implies an even less serious shortcoming, usually a common one tardiness was one of his failings; weakness applies to a minor shortcoming that results from a lack of perfect self-control talking too much is my weakness; foible refers to a slight weakness that is regarded more as an amusing idiosyncrasy than an actual defect in character eating desserts first is one of his foibles; vice, although stronger in its implication of moral failure than any of the preceding terms, does not in this connection necessarily suggest actual depravity or wickedness gambling is his only vice

at fault

find fault with

to a fault

fault

v.