blame
1 of 2verb
ˈblām 
blamed; blaming
transitive verb
1
: to find fault with : censure
the right to praise or blame a literary work
2
a
: to hold responsible
they blame me for everything
b
: to place responsibility for
blames it on me
blamer noun
Is it blame on or blame for?: Usage Guide
Use of blame in sense 2b with on has occasionally been disparaged as wrong. Such disparagement is without basis; blame on occurs as frequently in carefully edited prose as blame for. Both are standard.
blame
2 of 2noun
1
: an expression of disapproval or reproach : censure
… saying nothing … either in the way of blame or praise.—
R. L. Stevenson
R. L. Stevenson2
a
: a state of being blameworthy : culpability
… acknowledge the world as a world of common blame,—Muriel Rukeyser
Muriel Rukeyser b
archaic : fault, sin
3
: responsibility for something believed to deserve censure
they must share the blame
blameless
ˈblām-ləs
adjective blamelessly adverb
blamelessness noun
Synonyms
Verb
- censure
- condemn
- criticize
- denounce
- dis [slang]
- diss
- dispraise
- fault
- knock
- pan
- reprehend
- slag [chiefly British]
Noun
- culpability
- fault
- guilt
- onus
- rap
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
Verb Don't blame me. You are responsible for your own problems. My father always blames everything on me. I blame the poor harvest on the weather. Noun It's not entirely his fault, but he's not completely free of blame, either. willingly accepted the blame for not seeing that the kitchen was properly cleaned
Recent Examples on the WebChelsea Bailey, NBC News, 2 Nov. 2017 Many have blamed Charlotte’s ongoing development boom for the loss of several of the city’s cultural hotspots. —Katherine Peralta, charlotteobserver, 31 Oct. 2017 But don't blame Alabama for being gun-shy about using Fitzpatrick in that capacity after what happened to Eddie Jackson last season. —Rainer Sabin, AL.com, 22 Oct. 2017 Despite Matt’s attorneys’ legal analysis of the allegations, Matt has insisted that nothing be said that blames or casts aspersions upon his accusers. —Andy Cush, Billboard, 20 Oct. 2017 Trump blamed Corker for the Iran deal (though the senator did not support its original passage), and mocked his slight stature. —Linda Feldmann, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Oct. 2017 In areas around the North Sea and Mediterranean coast, however, later winter storms, indicated by cooler colors, are to blame for flooding. —Lacy Schley, Discover Magazine, 10 Nov. 2017 American intelligence chiefs blamed those hacking attacks on Russian military intelligence. —The Economist, 4 Nov. 2017 But CW Hemp blamed its customer testimonials for going too far. —Maggie Fox, NBC News, 1 Nov. 2017 Cami Mondeaux, Washington Examiner, 8 Feb. 2023 O’Malley placed the blame on the car manufacturers for not including anti-theft measures that a national, nonprofit car insurance research group says were standard in nearly all other models at the time. —Cory Shaffer, cleveland, 5 Feb. 2023 The theories often wrongly placed the blame on the victims' surviving friends, relatives or others. —Rebecca Boone, ajc, 20 Jan. 2023 As the investigation continued, however, Cook and his parents came to suspect that the Murdaughs were trying to pin the blame on him, possibly with the connivance of local law enforcement. —James Lasdun, The New Yorker, 16 Jan. 2023 In June, airlines refused to take the blame alone for heavy flight traffic and disruptions along the East Coast. —Dallas News, 11 Jan. 2023 Likewise, de Luis is loathe to pin much blame on the pilots. —Dominic Gates, Anchorage Daily News, 6 Jan. 2023 Pierce, the rookie, tried to take the blame after the game. —The Indianapolis Star, 5 Dec. 2022 Don’t be afraid to take all the blame when things go wrong, but be sure to share the praise when things go right. —Cedrick Webb, Forbes, 10 Nov. 2022 See More
Verb
The tweet marked the beginning of a daylong anti-Islamic social media attack that blamed all Muslims for ISIS terrorism. —Chelsea Bailey, NBC News, 2 Nov. 2017 Many have blamed Charlotte’s ongoing development boom for the loss of several of the city’s cultural hotspots. —Katherine Peralta, charlotteobserver, 31 Oct. 2017 But don't blame Alabama for being gun-shy about using Fitzpatrick in that capacity after what happened to Eddie Jackson last season. —Rainer Sabin, AL.com, 22 Oct. 2017 Despite Matt’s attorneys’ legal analysis of the allegations, Matt has insisted that nothing be said that blames or casts aspersions upon his accusers. —Andy Cush, Billboard, 20 Oct. 2017 Trump blamed Corker for the Iran deal (though the senator did not support its original passage), and mocked his slight stature. —Linda Feldmann, The Christian Science Monitor, 14 Oct. 2017 In areas around the North Sea and Mediterranean coast, however, later winter storms, indicated by cooler colors, are to blame for flooding. —Lacy Schley, Discover Magazine, 10 Nov. 2017 American intelligence chiefs blamed those hacking attacks on Russian military intelligence. —The Economist, 4 Nov. 2017 But CW Hemp blamed its customer testimonials for going too far. —Maggie Fox, NBC News, 1 Nov. 2017 Noun
More voters considered Democrats at fault than during the previous three standoffs, but a majority were more likely to place blame on Trump and Republicans. —Cami Mondeaux, Washington Examiner, 8 Feb. 2023 O’Malley placed the blame on the car manufacturers for not including anti-theft measures that a national, nonprofit car insurance research group says were standard in nearly all other models at the time. —Cory Shaffer, cleveland, 5 Feb. 2023 The theories often wrongly placed the blame on the victims' surviving friends, relatives or others. —Rebecca Boone, ajc, 20 Jan. 2023 As the investigation continued, however, Cook and his parents came to suspect that the Murdaughs were trying to pin the blame on him, possibly with the connivance of local law enforcement. —James Lasdun, The New Yorker, 16 Jan. 2023 In June, airlines refused to take the blame alone for heavy flight traffic and disruptions along the East Coast. —Dallas News, 11 Jan. 2023 Likewise, de Luis is loathe to pin much blame on the pilots. —Dominic Gates, Anchorage Daily News, 6 Jan. 2023 Pierce, the rookie, tried to take the blame after the game. —The Indianapolis Star, 5 Dec. 2022 Don’t be afraid to take all the blame when things go wrong, but be sure to share the praise when things go right. —Cedrick Webb, Forbes, 10 Nov. 2022 See More Word History
Etymology
Verb and Noun
Middle English, from Anglo-French blamer, blasmer, from Late Latin blasphemare to blaspheme, from Greek blasphēmein
First Known Use
Verb
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing blame
Kids Definition
blame
1 of 2 verb ˈblām
blamed; blaming
1
: to find fault with : censure
2
a
: to hold responsible
blame them for everything
b
: to place responsibility for
blames it on me
blamable adjective
ˈblā-mə-bəl
blamably adverb
-blē
blamer noun
blame
2 of 2 noun1
: expression of disapproval
receive both blame and praise
2
: responsibility for something that fails : fault
take the blame for the defeat
blameless
adjective
as in innocent
free from guilt or blame a blameless baby shouldn't have to suffer for his parents' mistakes Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- innocent
- guiltless
- acquitted
- faultless
- irreproachable
- inculpable
- ethical
- impeccable
- clear
- lily-white
- exonerated
- moral
- vindicated
- virtuous
- righteous
- cleanhanded
- absolved
- in the clear
- cleared
- upright
- law-abiding
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- guilty
- culpable
- blameworthy
- blamable
- accused
- punishable
- impeachable
- condemned
- indictable
- censurable
- convicted
- indicted
- shamefaced
- impeached
- hangdog
- shamed