BLAMABLE Synonyms: 35 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'blamable' different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of blamable are blameworthy , culpable , and guilty . While all these words 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

Q: When could 'culpable' be used to replace 'blamable'?

While the synonyms culpable and blamable are close in meaning, culpable is weaker than guilty and is likely to connote malfeasance or errors of ignorance, omission, or negligence. // culpable neglect

Q: When would 'guilty' be a good substitute for 'blamable'?

The words guilty and blamable are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, guilty implies responsibility for or consciousness of crime, sin, or, at the least, grave error or misdoing. // guilty of a breach of etiquette

blamable

adjective

ˈblā-mə-bəl

Definition of blamable

as in guilty

deserving reproach or blame an honest mistake is hardly a blamable offense

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How is the word blamable different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of blamable are blameworthy, culpable, and guilty. While all these words 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

When could culpable be used to replace blamable?

While the synonyms culpable and blamable are close in meaning, culpable is weaker than guilty and is likely to connote malfeasance or errors of ignorance, omission, or negligence.

culpable neglect

When would guilty be a good substitute for blamable?

The words guilty and blamable are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, guilty implies responsibility for or consciousness of crime, sin, or, at the least, grave error or misdoing.

guilty of a breach of etiquette

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for blamable

Adjective

Under Arkansas law, anyone selling alcohol on a Sunday without a permit can be found guilty of a violation fined up to $250.

— Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 9 Sep. 2026
The man who allegedly stabbed two people on New York's Upper West Side pleaded not guilty to hate crime charges Tuesday.

— Alexa Herrera, CBS News, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of guilty

Adjective

Extreme cold made the O-rings fail, but NASA’s culture was just as blameworthy and needed a retrofit more urgently than any piece of shuttle hardware.

— Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 28 Jan. 2026
As the shutdown goes on, moreover, the polling on which side is more to blame seems to be gradually shifting toward Democrats as the more blameworthy side.

— Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025

Definition of blameworthy

Adjective

Roughly two dozen countries have statutes that classify maternal infanticide as less culpable than ordinary murder; the United States recognizes no such distinction, forcing cases like Clancy’s into the contentious framework of the insanity defense.

— Eren Orbey, New Yorker, 4 Sep. 2026
The investigation also found the Clippers culpable in facilitating additional deals for Leonard to gain income from Boingo Wireless, Daktronics and Lockton.

— Michael McCann, Sportico.com, 2 Sep. 2026

Definition of culpable

Adjective

Jurors also have the option to find Clancy guilty of the lesser offenses of second-degree murder, which is punishable by a life sentence with the possibility of parole, or manslaughter, which carries a 20-year maximum sentence.

— ABC News, ABC News, 4 Sep. 2026
He is charged with official misconduct in the first degree, which is punishable by up to 12 months behind bars, if convicted, and unlawful access to a computer in the fourth degree, which carries a maximum sentence of 90 days.

— Josh Wood, Louisville Courier Journal, 3 Sep. 2026

Definition of punishable

Adjective

So while Murrill’s desire to deprive exonerees of money is terrible, Alexander said, her efforts to prevent them from having their names officially cleared are truly reprehensible.

— Richard A. Webster, ProPublica, 6 Aug. 2026
In the last two weeks, two Illinois House Democrats have been exposed for allegedly misusing their offices, engaging in reprehensible conduct and abusing the public trust placed in them as state representatives.

— Amy Elik, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2026

Definition of reprehensible

Adjective

The engineer abruptly resigned after refusing to contribute to a reckless corporate competition that could ultimately lead to uncontrollable AI.

— Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 9 Sep. 2026
None were remotely reckless, and none prevented a promising attack, which are the usual triggers for cautions.

— Graham Scott, New York Times, 8 Sep. 2026

Definition of reckless

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.

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blahs

blamable

blame

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“Blamable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blamable. Accessed 13 Sep. 2026.

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Synonyms of blamable

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