blame
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to hold responsible; find fault with; censure.
I don't blame you for leaving him.
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to place the responsibility for (a fault, error, etc.) (usually followed byon ).
I blame the accident on her.
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Informal. blast; damn (used as a mild curse).
Blame the rotten luck.
noun
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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
-
responsibility for anything deserving of censure.
We must all share the blame for this deplorable condition.
- Synonyms:
- sin, fault, culpability, guilt
idioms
noun
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responsibility for something that is wrong or deserving censure; culpability
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an expression of condemnation; reproof
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to be at fault or culpable
verb
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(usually foll by for) to attribute responsibility to; accuse
I blame him for the failure
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(usually foll by on) to ascribe responsibility for (something) to
I blame the failure on him
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to find fault with
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.
Synonym Usage
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
Derived Forms
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blamableadjective
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blamablyadverb
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unblamingadjective
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blamernoun
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overblameverb (used with object)
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self-blamenoun
Conjugated Forms
Present
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have blamedperfect
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has blamedperfect 3rd person singular
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has been blamingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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are blamingprogressive
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have been blamingperfect progressive
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am blamingprogressive 1st person singular
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is blamingprogressive 3rd person singular
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blamessingular 3rd person
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blamingparticiple
Past
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had blamedperfect
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were blamingprogressive plural
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had been blamingperfect progressive
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was blamingprogressive singular
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blamedparticiple
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blamedsimple
Future
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?"
Vocabulary lists containing blame
Common Five-letter Words for Wordle, List 4
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Beowulf vocabulary
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"The Jacket"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
She said it was crucial that children "know that they can report harmful content without repercussions" and "must not feel they are to blame or that they are doing something wrong".
From BBC • Jun. 15, 2026
Taking into account the history of corruption in FIFA, the sport’s governing body, it would be hard to blame anyone who decided to ignore this year’s competition.
From Salon • Jun. 15, 2026
Yet, “exposure over time may be even more to blame than potency,” says Meltzer.
From Slate • Jun. 13, 2026
The blame for homelessness, its growth and persistence, can be pointed in many directions.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026
“And then you stopped messaging me altogether. Not that I can blame you, but it hurt that you gave up on me, because I felt like you of all people should have known. Should’ve asked.”
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
