blame

¹blame

verb \ˈblām\

blamedblam·ing

Definition of BLAME

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>

— blam·er noun

— to blame

: at fault : responsible <says he's not to blame for the accident>

Usage Discussion of BLAME

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.

Examples of BLAME

1. Don't blame me. You are responsible for your own problems.
2. My father always blames everything on me.
3. I blame the poor harvest on the weather.

Origin of BLAME

Middle English, from Anglo-French blamer, blasmer, from Late Latin blasphemare to blaspheme, from Greek blasphēmein

First Known Use: 13th century

Related to BLAME

Synonyms: criticize, censure, condemn, denounce, dis (also diss) [slang], dispraise, fault, knock, pan, reprehend, slag [chiefly British]

Antonyms: extol (also extoll), laud, praise

Related Words: skewer, tweak; assail, attack, blast, clobber, slam, slash; nick (at), snipe (at); beef, bellyache, bitch, carp, cavil, complain, crab, croak, fuss, gripe, grouse, growl, grumble, kick, kvetch, moan, murmur, mutter, niggle, quibble, whine; admonish, chide, drub, rebuke, reprimand, reproach, reprove; berate, castigate, crucify, excoriate, flay, gibbet, hammer, keelhaul, lambaste (or lambast), lash, pillory, scold, upbraid; bad-mouth, belittle, decry, deride, discommend, disparage, put down

Near Antonyms: approve, commend, endorse (also indorse), recommend, sanction

[+]more[-]hide