Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

blameworthy

play
adjective blame·wor·thy \-ˌwər-thē\

Definition of blameworthy

  1. :  being at fault :  deserving blame

blameworthiness

noun

See blameworthy defined for English-language learners

See blameworthy defined for kids

People Are Reading

perfect-storm
Stormy Weather
peter-bruegel-tower-of-babel-painting
Where in the World? A Quiz
alt-592453dea3986
Read on to Become Part of the Dictionary 'Illuminati'
decimate-video
Is it wrong to use 'decimate' to mean 'destroy'?

Examples of blameworthy in a sentence

  1. Their failure to adequately inform participants of the risks was morally blameworthy.

  2. we were all equally blameworthy, whether we had openly approved the free-speech restrictions or simply kept quiet about them

14th Century

First Known Use of blameworthy

14th century

blameworthy Synonyms

Synonyms
blamable, censurable, culpable, reprehensible, reproachable, at fault
Antonyms
blameless, faultless, impeccable, irreproachable
Related Words
bad, guilty, sinful, wicked; foolish, irresponsible, reckless; amerciable, chargeable, disciplinable, impeachable, indictable, punishable; criminal, illegal, illicit, unlawful; illegitimate, improper, wrongful
Near Antonyms
flawless, perfect, pure; guiltless, innocent

Synonym Discussion of blameworthy

blameworthy, blamable, guilty, culpable mean deserving reproach or punishment. blameworthy and blamable apply to any degree of reprehensibility. conduct adjudged blameworthy an accident for which no one is blamable guilty implies responsibility for or consciousness of crime, sin, or, at the least, grave error or misdoing. guilty of a breach of etiquette culpable is weaker than guilty and is likely to connote malfeasance or errors of ignorance, omission, or negligence. culpable neglect

BLAMEWORTHY Defined for English Language Learners

blameworthy

play
adjective blame·wor·thy \-ˌwər-thē\

Definition of blameworthy for English Language Learners

  • : deserving blame : bad or wrong

BLAMEWORTHY Defined for Kids

blameworthy

play
adjective blame·wor·thy \ˈblām-ˌwər-thē\

Definition of blameworthy for Students

  1. :  deserving blame

Learn More about blameworthy

  1. See words that rhyme with blameworthy Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for blameworthy Spanish Central: Translation of blameworthy Nglish: Translation of blameworthy for Spanish speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up blameworthy? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

nudnik

play

a person who is a bore or nuisance

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. suborn "to induce secretly to do an unlawful thing"

  2. nutjob 'a mentally unbalanced person'

  3. collusion 'Secret cooperation for an illegal or dishonest purpose'

  4. counsel Is it 'council' or 'counsel'?

  5. witch hunt Lookups spiked after Trump used the word in a tweet

SEE ALL

BROWSE DICTIONARY

blameworthy

WORD GAMES

Take a 3-minute break and test your skills!

  • peter-bruegel-tower-of-babel-painting
  • What language does pajama come from?
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

TAKE THE QUIZ
SCRABBLE® Sprint

Test Your Knowledge - and learn some interesting things along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

alt-592453dea3986
Read on to Become Part of the Dictionary 'Illuminati'

Secrets will be revealed.

alt-592333459542f
How 'Namaste' Entered The English Language

"I bow to you"

boulton-and-park
Notes on 'Campy'

Plus: how to use n'importe in a sentence

sin
What is 'Sin'?

It's striking how little this word has changed

Ask the Editors

decimate-video
Is it wrong to use 'decimate' to mean 'destroy'?

Language changes

serial-comma
The Serial Comma

Why don't they call it the Merriam-Webster comma?

video-irregardless-grammar-peeve-blend-of-the-synonyms-irrespective-and-regardless
Irregardless

It is in fact a real word (but that doesn't mean you should use it).

video-moose-goose-weird-plurals
Weird Plurals

One goose, two geese. One moose, two... moose. What's up with that?

Word Games

peter-bruegel-tower-of-babel-painting
Where in the World? A Quiz

Do you know what languages these words come from?

Take the quiz
wide-eyed-dog-smelling-rose
What's that Smell?! Quiz

Words for odors and such...

Take the quiz
Spell It
Spell It

Can you spell these 10 commonly misspelled words?

Take the quiz
SCRABBLE® Sprint
SCRABBLE® Sprint

SCRABBLE® fans, sharpen your skills!

Play the game
Examples: blameworthy in a sentence
Tip: Synonym guide