INDEX:
something wrong
1. something wrong with a machine, system, plan etc
2. a fault in someone’s character
when somebody causes something bad to happen
3. when something bad is someone’s fault
4. when something is not someone’s fault
RELATED WORDS
opposite
↑ WORKING
see also
↑ PROBLEM
↑ BROKEN/NOT BROKEN
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1. something wrong with a machine, system, plan etc
▷ fault /fɔːlt/ [countable noun]
something wrong with one of the parts of a machine that prevents it from working properly :
▪ Quality control staff are employed to check for any faults.
fault in
▪ I think there’s a fault in one of the loudspeakers.
▪ The fault could be either in the tape or in the VCR.
electrical/mechanical/technical etc fault
▪ The rocket launch was delayed because of a technical fault.
▷ defect /ˈdiːfekt, dɪˈfekt/ [countable noun]
something wrong with a product or machine, especially caused by a mistake in the way it was made or designed :
▪ All the computers are checked for defects before they leave the factory.
defect in
▪ A defect in the braking system caused several accidents before the car was recalled.
▪ Investigators found a defect in the design of the ship.
▷ problem /ˈprɒbləmǁˈprɑː-/ [countable noun]
something that stops a machine or system from working normally :
▪ Please call 5326 if you have any computer problems.
problem with
▪ There seems to be some kind of problem with the heaters.
problem in
▪ Engineers were unable to find the source of the problem in the spacecraft’s cooling system.
▷ trouble /ˈtrʌb ə l/ [uncountable noun]
something wrong with a machine, car etc, especially when you do not know exactly what is causing it :
▪ If you have engine trouble, park as far to the side of the road as possible.
have trouble
▪ If you used the same tape later and had no trouble with the picture, the problem is probably in the VCR.
trouble with
▪ We’ve been having some trouble with the air-conditioning.
the trouble
the particular thing causing the problem
▪ I think we’ve found out what the trouble is.
▷ flaw/weakness /flɔː, ˈwiːknə̇s/ [countable noun]
something wrong with a plan, system, or set of ideas, which may make the whole thing useless or not effective :
▪ His plan seemed foolproof, but I was sure there was a flaw somewhere.
▪ The program has serious weaknesses, and I would avoid using it.
flaw/weakness in
▪ There are several obvious flaws in his argument.
▪ One major weakness in the study is that it is based on a very small sample.
▷ bug /bʌg/ [countable noun]
a small problem in a computer or a computer system :
▪ The program suffers from some minor bugs, but is still better than the first version.
▪ Some chips contained a bug that caused computers to crash frequently.
▷ glitch /glɪtʃ/ [countable noun]
a small fault in the way something works, that can usually be corrected easily :
▪ As the glitches are found and corrected, the process is speeding up.
glitch in
▪ A glitch in the system shut down the telephone service to nearly 6 million customers.
technical/mechanical etc glitch
▪ NASA officials found a way to work around the technical glitch on the Galileo spacecraft.
▷ virus /ˈvaɪ ə rəs/ [countable noun]
a set of instructions that someone puts secretly into other people’s computers, that can destroy information stored in them or stop them working correctly :
▪ The disk was accidentally infected with a virus called ‘Stoned III’.
▪ Computer users from around the world reported that the virus had invaded their systems.
▪ an anti-virus program
▷ be something wrong with/be something the matter with /biː something ˈrɒŋ wɪðǁ-ˈrɔːŋ-, biː something ðə ˈmætəʳ wɪð/ [verb phrase] spoken
say this when there is a problem in a machine, part of a car etc, but you do not know exactly what it is :
▪ I think there’s something wrong with the clutch in my car.
▪ I don’t know what’s the matter with it, but I can’t get it to work.
▪ There are programs that will help you figure out what’s wrong with your PC, and help you correct it.
2. a fault in someone’s character
▷ fault /fɔːlt/ [countable noun usually plural]
a bad point in someone’s character :
▪ The secret of a good relationship is to accept the other person’s faults, and not try to make them change.
have his/her/their faults
▪ She’s my best friend and I love her dearly, but she has her faults.
for all his/her/their faults
even though they have these faults
▪ For all his faults, he was a good father.
▷ flaw/weakness /flɔː, ˈwiːknə̇s/ [countable noun]
a small fault in someone’s character or a lack of a good quality such as courage or good judgement :
▪ The flaw that leads to Othello’s downfall is his jealousy.
▪ The biographer believes that flaws in Kennedy’s character weakened his leadership of the nation.
▪ Despite his weaknesses, he was a fair man.
▷ shortcomings /ˈʃɔːʳtkʌmɪŋz/ [plural noun]
the faults in someone’s character - use this especially when you are saying that the person has good qualities too :
▪ He acknowledged his own shortcomings, including at times being stubborn and a little vain.
▪ Whatever his shortcomings, Hamilton was one of the great men in American history.
3. when something bad is someone’s fault
▷ be somebody’s fault /biː somebodyˈs ˈfɔːlt/ [verb phrase]
if something is someone’s fault, they are responsible for it, especially because they made a mistake :
▪ He played very well, and it is not his fault we lost.
be somebody’s own fault
when someone is responsible for something bad that happens to them
▪ Marie failed the exam, but it was her own fault - she didn’t do any work.
be sb’s fault (that)
▪ I’m so sorry. It’s my fault that we’re so late.
be sb’s fault for doing something
▪ Of course she was angry - but it’s your fault for telling her about the whole thing in the first place.
the fault of somebody
▪ Suggesting that our problems are the fault of someone else won’t solve anything.
▷ be to blame /biː tə ˈbleɪm/ [verb phrase]
if someone or something is to blame for a bad situation, they caused it :
▪ When kids do badly at school, it’s not always the teachers who are to blame.
be to blame for
▪ Some people think television is to blame for a lot of the problems in modern society.
▪ She was as much to blame for the breakup of their marriage as he was.
▷ be responsible /biː rɪˈspɒnsə̇b ə lǁ-ˈspɑːn-/ [verb phrase]
if someone is responsible for an accident, crime etc, they caused it and they should be punished for it :
▪ The police are trying to find out who was responsible.
be responsible for
▪ There is a reward for information leading to the arrest of the people responsible for the explosion.
feel responsible
think that something is your fault
▪ I knew the accident wasn’t really my fault, but I can’t help feeling a little responsible.
▷ be at fault /biː ət ˈfɔːlt/ [verb phrase]
if someone, especially a group of people or an organization, is at fault, they are responsible for something bad that has happened because they did not behave correctly or did not take enough care :
▪ The accident report found both drivers to be at fault.
be at fault for doing something
▪ With regard to the chaos after the earthquake, many people believe the government is at fault for not responding quickly enough.
▷ only have yourself to blame /ˌəʊnli hæv jɔːʳˈself tə ˌbleɪm/ [verb phrase not in progressive]
if you only have yourself to blame for something bad that has happened, it is your own fault that it happened and you should not feel sorry for yourself :
▪ His wife’s left him but he only has himself to blame.
only have yourself to blame for doing something
▪ I’ve only got myself to blame for losing the race.
▷ blame yourself /ˌbleɪm jɔːʳˈself/ [verb phrase]
to think that it is your fault that something bad has happened, so that you feel very upset or ashamed :
▪ You mustn’t blame yourself -- it wasn’t your fault.
▪ Children sometimes feel responsible for their parents divorcing and blame themselves.
blame yourself for
▪ He never stopped blaming himself for his wife’s death.
4. when something is not someone’s fault
▷ be not somebody’s fault /biː nɒt somebodyˈs ˈfɔːlt/ [verb phrase]
if something is not someone’s fault, they did not make it happen and they should not be blamed for it :
▪ Try not to worry about it too much - it’s not your fault.
▪ She felt guilty, even though the accident wasn’t her fault.
be not sb’s fault (that)
▪ It wasn’t the builders’ fault that the work wasn’t finished on time.
▷ through no fault of your own /θruː nəʊ ˌfɔːlt əv jɔːr ˈəʊn/ [adverb]
if something bad happens through no fault of your own, it is not your fault that it happens but you suffer because of it :
▪ The center exists to help those who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own.
▪ Because of the budget cuts, some students, through no fault of their own, may have a hard time paying their way.
▷ not be to blame /nɒt biː tə ˈbleɪm/ [verb phrase]
to not be responsible for something bad that happens - use this especially when other people think you might have done something to make it happen :
▪ The press won’t leave him alone, but he wasn’t really to blame.
not be to blame for
▪ Hospital workers were not to blame for a nine-year-old’s death, a court decided yesterday.
▪ The report said that no one was to blame for the accident.
▷ can’t help it /ˌkɑːnt ˈhelp ɪtǁˌkænt-/ [verb phrase] especially spoken
use this to say that someone should not be blamed for something because they cannot stop it from happening :
▪ ‘Stop walking up and down like that!’ ‘I can’t help it - I’m really nervous.’
▪ I tried not to cry but I just couldn’t help it.
can’t help it if
▪ He can’t help it if they didn’t understand what he was telling them to do.