blameworthy
adjective
blame·wor·thy
ˈblām-ˌwər-t͟hē 
: being at fault : deserving blame
blameworthiness
noun
Synonyms
Examples of blameworthy in a Sentence
Their failure to adequately inform participants of the risks was morally blameworthy.
we were all equally blameworthy, whether we had openly approved the free-speech restrictions or simply kept quiet about them
Recent Examples on the Web
Those blameworthy influencers, in turn, must identify their respective influences and apportion blame among them.
—
Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023
In a study that gave participants a scenario of an accidental fire that caused property damage, speakers of languages like English that give agentive descriptions tended to judge the plaintiff as more blameworthy and award them higher financial penalties.
—Sofia Quaglia, WIRED, 19 July 2023
The most dramatic takeaway from the video is the outsized role the northern hemisphere plays in the global spread of greenhouse gasses, compared to the far less blameworthy south.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 29 June 2023
For the attorney general’s purposes, Tanisha needed to inhabit contradictory roles: moral and credible enough for a jury to trust, but blameworthy and sufficiently deplorable to exist as an extension of the man who killed Kevin and to therefore merit her own conviction.
—Justine Van Der Leun, The New Republic, 17 Dec. 2020
But where that entry is not successful, once again, fingers will be pointed at those perceived as blameworthy.
—David Reichenberg, Forbes, 5 Sep. 2021
Those who intentionally seek to inflict injury are considered most blameworthy, while those who cause harm through negligence, or failure to exercise ordinary care, are least culpable.
—Jess Bravin, WSJ, 10 June 2021
The idea of violent crimes as a separate universe, categorically more dangerous and blameworthy than other offenses, dates back little more than half a century.
—David Alan Sklansky, Time, 7 Apr. 2021
These stories run a big-haired gamut in terms of individual culpability, but in every case, popular culture found a way to blame the woman, often to excuse a more blameworthy man.
—New York Times, 2 Mar. 2021
See More
Joshua Rothman, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023
In a study that gave participants a scenario of an accidental fire that caused property damage, speakers of languages like English that give agentive descriptions tended to judge the plaintiff as more blameworthy and award them higher financial penalties.
—Sofia Quaglia, WIRED, 19 July 2023
The most dramatic takeaway from the video is the outsized role the northern hemisphere plays in the global spread of greenhouse gasses, compared to the far less blameworthy south.
—Jeffrey Kluger, Time, 29 June 2023
For the attorney general’s purposes, Tanisha needed to inhabit contradictory roles: moral and credible enough for a jury to trust, but blameworthy and sufficiently deplorable to exist as an extension of the man who killed Kevin and to therefore merit her own conviction.
—Justine Van Der Leun, The New Republic, 17 Dec. 2020
But where that entry is not successful, once again, fingers will be pointed at those perceived as blameworthy.
—David Reichenberg, Forbes, 5 Sep. 2021
Those who intentionally seek to inflict injury are considered most blameworthy, while those who cause harm through negligence, or failure to exercise ordinary care, are least culpable.
—Jess Bravin, WSJ, 10 June 2021
The idea of violent crimes as a separate universe, categorically more dangerous and blameworthy than other offenses, dates back little more than half a century.
—David Alan Sklansky, Time, 7 Apr. 2021
These stories run a big-haired gamut in terms of individual culpability, but in every case, popular culture found a way to blame the woman, often to excuse a more blameworthy man.
—New York Times, 2 Mar. 2021
See More
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'blameworthy.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of blameworthy was
in the 14th century
Dictionary Entries Near blameworthy
Cite this Entry
“Blameworthy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/blameworthy. Accessed 30 Nov. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
More from Merriam-Webster on blameworthy
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share