blames; blamed; blaming
: to say or think that a person or thing is responsible for something bad that has happened
Don't blame me. You are responsible for your own problems.
Don't blame me for your problems. = Don't blame your problems on me.
The company blames the poor economy for its financial losses. = The company blames its financial losses on the poor economy.
My father always blames everything on me.
I blame the poor harvest on the weather.
: responsibility for something that fails or is wrong
It's not entirely his fault, but he's not completely free of blame, either.
He deserves blame [=deserves to be blamed] for his careless behavior.
—usually used with theThe blame lies with me. [=I am at fault; I am to blame]
It's not fair—she gets the credit when things go well, and I get the blame when they fail.
Don't try to put/lay/pin the blame for your problems on me.
The coach took the blame for the defeat. [=the coach said he was responsible for the defeat]
Cite this Entry
“Blame.” Merriam-Webster.com Simple Definition, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/simple/blame. Accessed 16 Apr. 2026.
Copy Citation
