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
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
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
On the whole, Google's spam filter, though in this instance imperfect, is not morally blameworthy.
—Jon Brodkin, Ars Technica, 25 Aug. 2023
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
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
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
-
Merriweather’s office has dismissed about 106 homicide charges since 2020 — not including charges in which a defendant died, pleaded guilty, or wasn’t mentally competent to stand trial.—
Charlotte Observer,
Charlotte Observer,
9 Apr. 2026
-
On Tuesday, just before evidence presentation began in the trial, Horner pleaded guilty to capital murder in the course of kidnapping.—
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
9 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Lee Milne, 40, was sentenced to eight years in prison following his conviction in Glasgow’s High Court for culpable homicide and engaging in abusive behavior.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Apr. 2026
-
Lee Milne, 40, was sentenced to eight years in prison following his conviction in Glasgow's High Court for culpable homicide and engaging in abusive behavior.—
CBS News,
CBS News,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
His poor display of unsportsmanlike conduct was reprehensible.—
Kirk Bohls,
Houston Chronicle,
7 Apr. 2026
-
Prisons are filled with the faithful and the daily news reports are overflowing with reprehensible, criminal, degenerate theists.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
5 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
She is charged with one count of illegally communicating or transmitting national defense information, which is punishable by up to 10 years in prison if convicted.—
Jacob Rosen,
CBS News,
9 Apr. 2026
-
Increasing pressure on Memorial An extremist designation puts even more pressure on the group, as involvement with extremist activities is a criminal offense in Russia punishable by prison terms.—
Dasha Litvinova,
Los Angeles Times,
9 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Blameworthy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blameworthy. Accessed 17 Apr. 2026.
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