as in guilty
deserving reproach or blame
we were all equally blameworthy, whether we had openly approved the free-speech restrictions or simply kept quiet about them
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Recent Examples of blameworthy
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
His Stoic Challenge framework invites you to see a setback not as something terrible, blameworthy or unfair but instead as a test of your ingenuity and resilience.
—Hanna Hart, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
But Miss Manners acknowledges that there is also the less blameworthy impulse to offer comfort — not just sympathy — when there is no real comfort to be offered.
—Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2025
To highlight the hazy line between blameworthy and praiseworthy failure, Edmondson routinely asks leaders to estimate the percentage of blameworthy mistakes in their organizations.
—Ann Kowal Smith, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2023
Additionally, studies show that people often direct retribution toward groups rather than individuals, such that people seeking revenge consider all Israelis or all Palestinians to be collectively blameworthy for the most extreme actions of a small number of people.
—Joshua Rottman, Scientific American, 20 Nov. 2023
On the whole, Google's spam filter, though in this instance imperfect, is not morally blameworthy.
—Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, 25 Aug. 2023
Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025
His Stoic Challenge framework invites you to see a setback not as something terrible, blameworthy or unfair but instead as a test of your ingenuity and resilience.
—Hanna Hart, Forbes.com, 29 May 2025
But Miss Manners acknowledges that there is also the less blameworthy impulse to offer comfort — not just sympathy — when there is no real comfort to be offered.
—Judith Martin, The Mercury News, 11 Feb. 2025
To highlight the hazy line between blameworthy and praiseworthy failure, Edmondson routinely asks leaders to estimate the percentage of blameworthy mistakes in their organizations.
—Ann Kowal Smith, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2023
Additionally, studies show that people often direct retribution toward groups rather than individuals, such that people seeking revenge consider all Israelis or all Palestinians to be collectively blameworthy for the most extreme actions of a small number of people.
—Joshua Rottman, Scientific American, 20 Nov. 2023
On the whole, Google's spam filter, though in this instance imperfect, is not morally blameworthy.
—Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, 25 Aug. 2023
Recent Examples of Synonyms for blameworthy
Adjective
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Norman Macksoni, 47, pleaded not guilty to one count of rape and possession of extreme images.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
23 Jan. 2026
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Bartelt was found guilty in Blodgett's death, and sentenced to life in prison without parole, despite his defense maintaining his innocence.—
Mason Leath,
ABC News,
23 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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Were there other equally culpable defendants who did not receive the death penalty?—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
20 Jan. 2026
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Gowans previously admitted acting in a culpable and reckless manner after throwing part of a broken seat onto the field after the match.—
Colin Millar,
New York Times,
13 Jan. 2026
Adjective
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And though the most appalling moments from such shows tend to go the most viral, the shows themselves are not uniformly reprehensible.—
Jon Allsop,
New Yorker,
13 Dec. 2025
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At the same time, the barrage of vitriol unleashed by China castigating Takaichi as a warmongering militarist includes a reprehensible threat by the Chinese consul-general in Osaka about beheading Takaichi.—
Jeff Kingston,
Time,
30 Nov. 2025
Adjective
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Roberts also faces a federal weapons charge, punishable by up to 15 years in prison and a fine.—
Hannah Fingerhut,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Jan. 2026
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Aggravated cruelty carries a penalty of up to two years in prison, and abandoning a dog is punishable by up to one year in jail and fines up to $1,000.—
Alexa Herrera,
CBS News,
22 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blameworthy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blameworthy. Accessed 26 Jan. 2026.
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