blame

American  

[bleym] / bleɪm /

verb (used with object)

blamed, blaming

1. to hold responsible; find fault with; censure.

   I don't blame you for leaving him.

   Synonyms:

   criticize, reprehend, reprove, reproach

2. to place the responsibility for (a fault, error, etc.) (usually followed byon ).

   I blame the accident on her.

   Synonyms:

   criticize, reprehend, reprove, reproach

3. Informal. blast; damn (used as a mild curse).

   Blame the rotten luck.

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noun

1. an act of attributing fault; censure; reproof.

   The judge said he found nothing to justify blame in the accident.

   Synonyms:

   animadversion, reproach, stricture, condemnation, reprehension

2. responsibility for anything deserving of censure.

   We must all share the blame for this deplorable condition.

   Synonyms:

   sin, fault, culpability, guilt

idioms

1. to blame, at fault; censurable.

   I am to blame for his lateness.

blame British  

/ bleɪm /

noun

1. responsibility for something that is wrong or deserving censure; culpability

2. an expression of condemnation; reproof

3. to be at fault or culpable

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verb

1. (usually foll by for) to attribute responsibility to; accuse

   I blame him for the failure

2. (usually foll by on) to ascribe responsibility for (something) to

   I blame the failure on him

3. to find fault with

blame More Idioms  

1. see lay (the blame) on; to blame.

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Usage

Some speakers avoid blame on as informal ( He blamed the fight on me ), preferring blame alone ( He blamed me ) or blame for ( He blamed me for it ). Since all three forms occur with equal frequency in educated usage, they may all be considered equally acceptable.

Related Words

Blame, censure, condemn imply finding fault with someone or something. To blame is to hold accountable for, and disapprove because of, some error, mistake, omission, neglect, or the like: Whom do you blame for the disaster? The verb censure differs from the noun in connoting scolding or rebuking even more than adverse criticism: to censure one for extravagance. To condemn is to express an adverse (especially legal) judgment, without recourse: to condemn conduct, a building, a person to death.

Other Word Forms

• blamable adjective
• blamably adverb
• blamer noun
• overblame verb (used with object)
• self-blame noun
• unblaming adjective

Etymology

Origin of blame

First recorded in 1150–1200; (for the verb) Middle English blamen, from Anglo-French, Old French blasmer, from Vulgar Latin blastēmāre (unrecorded), from Late Latin blasphēmāre “to speak irreverently, profanely” ( see blaspheme); noun derivative of the verb

Explanation

Blame is about being responsible for something that's bad or has gone wrong. If you have a headache, you might blame it on the heat, or on not getting enough sleep. A person can be to blame for something. Your mom might walk into the house, see a broken lamp and blame you. Often, in official contexts, blame is "assigned" or "placed." A common complaint among younger siblings is, "Why do I always get blamed for everything?"

Example Sentences

Throughout it all, Arbeloa has consistently taken responsibility, deflecting the blame away from his players.

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

Maybe they do blame themselves, and are paralyzed by an unfounded shame.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 14, 2026

And so when that case doesn’t break through, we blame that person for their case not breaking through, as opposed to the larger tidal wave.

From Slate • Apr. 13, 2026

Police and prosecutors raided the headquarters of the National Office of Electoral Processes in an effort to find out who was to blame.

From Barron's • Apr. 13, 2026

Maggie threw the blame on Leah for taking two innocent children and forcing them into a life of lies.

From "American Spirits" by Barb Rosenstock

Related Words

• accountability
• burden
• culpability
• fault
• guilt
• liability
• onus