blamed; blaming
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.
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 Rukeyser3
: responsibility for something believed to deserve censure
they must share the blame
Examples of blame in a Sentence
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 Web
Natasha Chen, CNN Money, 2 May 2025
In October, the gang was blamed for killing more than 70 people in Pont-Sondé, the biggest massacre in Haiti’s recent history.
—Dánica Coto, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2025
Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 8 May 2025
Most of the blame can be pinned on outdated Food and Drug Administration parameters.
—Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for blame
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Verb
Economists are clashing over whether the $20 wage is to blame.
—Natasha Chen, CNN Money, 2 May 2025
In October, the gang was blamed for killing more than 70 people in Pont-Sondé, the biggest massacre in Haiti’s recent history.
—Dánica Coto, Los Angeles Times, 2 May 2025
Noun
Trump took a swipe at the Biden administration, placing part of the blame on former Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg.
—Samantha-Jo Roth, The Washington Examiner, 8 May 2025
Most of the blame can be pinned on outdated Food and Drug Administration parameters.
—Adam Hurly, Robb Report, 6 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for blame
Cite this Entry
“Blame.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blame. Accessed 20 May. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
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
Etymology
Verb
Middle English blamen "to find fault with," from early French blamer, blasmer (same meaning), from Latin blasphemare "to speak ill of," from Greek blasphemein "to blaspheme" — related to blaspheme
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share