blame

1 of 2

verb

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 2

noun

1
: an expression of disapproval or reproach : censure
… saying nothing … either in the way of blame or praise.R. L. Stevenson
2
a
: a state of being blameworthy : culpability
… acknowledge the world as a world of common blame,Muriel Rukeyser
b
archaic : fault, sin
3
: responsibility for something believed to deserve censure
they must share the blame
blameless adjective
blamelessly adverb
blamelessness noun
Phrases
to blame
: at fault : responsible
says he's not to blame for the accident

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 Web
Verb
But another one of these uncomfortable truths is that systemic issues aren’t always to blame for individuals’ experiences. Jessica Passman, Rolling Stone, 17 Mar. 2023 Some residents in the area question whether new housing developments that replaced orchards and a creek bed are to blame. Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 17 Mar. 2023 Globe-trotting newcomers are not to blame for the crisis, said Jaime Palomera, a housing researcher for the Barcelona Urban Research Institute. Ronda Kaysen, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2023 At the conference, Quinn disputed insurers’ claims that excessive lawsuits or free roof scams by contractors were to blame for high premiums and insurer bankruptcies. Ron Hurtibise, Sun Sentinel, 17 Mar. 2023 The decision to close the $7.1 billion acquisition in August 2021 despite regulators’ objections baffled many investors and is largely to blame for cutting the company’s market capitalization in half. David Wainer, WSJ, 17 Mar. 2023 Slides may be to blame for the most severe damage but heavy rains can also wash out roadways, scouring away the dirt and gravel beneath pavement and causing the pavement to collapse. Michael Cabanatuan, San Francisco Chronicle, 17 Mar. 2023 The estate owners, Countess Fiona Carnarvon and her husband, the eighth Earl of Carnarvon, told Reuters that a lack of workers from the European Union is to blame. Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 16 Mar. 2023 While lawmakers questioned Yellen on the federal deficit and upcoming debt ceiling negotiations, many focused instead on the bank failures and who was to blame. Fatima Hussein, ajc, 16 Mar. 2023
Noun
But it’s also been evident in the push by Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and other Democrats to pin the blame for the current banking mess on the crypto industry. Jeff John Roberts, Fortune Crypto, 17 Mar. 2023 Both parties share blame for getting us into this situation. Maya Macguineas, CNN, 10 Mar. 2023 The majority of witnesses argued to Congress that the fall of Kabul was an American failure with blame touching every presidential administration from George W. Bush to Joe Biden. Farnoush Amiri, Anchorage Daily News, 8 Mar. 2023 Though Taylor’s predecessor, David Shaw, deserved some blame for Stanford football’s slide, his recent record reflected the challenges of winning at an academically rigorous university. Connor Letourneau, San Francisco Chronicle, 8 Mar. 2023 To the pro-Leslie camp, the investigation was the Academy’s way of deflecting blame for the Davis and Deadwyler snubs; to the anti-Leslie camp, the film was using its underdog status as an excuse for not playing by the same rules as everyone else. Vulture, 7 Mar. 2023 Tomatoes and lettuce are out of stock at a number of British supermarkets this week, along with a number of other fresh fruit and vegetables, leading some to pin blame on Brexit. Diego Lasarte, Quartz, 24 Feb. 2023 The critiques of Chao come as Buttigieg and the Biden administration have been battling to keep blame for the toxic crash in Ohio off themselves and pointed at former President Donald Trump. Rachel Schilke, Washington Examiner, 23 Feb. 2023 Of course, as The New Republic has previously reported, the blame for a dangerous industry that leads to over 1,000 train derailments a year is cross-partisan. Prem Thakker, The New Republic, 22 Feb. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blame.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of blame was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near blame

Cite this Entry

“Blame.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blame. Accessed 31 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

blame

1 of 2 verb
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
ˈblā-mə-bəl
adjective
blamably
-blē
adverb
blamer noun

blame

2 of 2 noun
1
: 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

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