blame

UK: /ˈbleɪm/ US: /bleɪm/ ,(blām)

Inflections of 'blame' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

blames

v 3rd person singular

blaming

v pres p

blamed

v past

blamed

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

blame /bleɪm/   v., blamed, blam•ing, n. 
v. [~ + object]

1. to hold (someone) responsible:
   Don't blame me for the delay.
2. to find fault with;
   criticize: [used with a negative word or phrase, or in questions]
   I don't blame you for leaving.
3. to place the responsibility for (a fault, etc.) on:
   [~ + object + on + object] always blames his mistakes on me.

n. [uncountable]

4. an act of finding fault;
   disapproval;
   criticism:
   I received most of the blame for the collapse.
5. responsibility for anything deserving of criticism:
   took the blame for our error.

Idioms

6. Idioms to blame, responsible;
   at fault:
   The explosion was accidental; no one was to blame.

blame•less, adj.: 

a blameless life.

blame•less•ly, adv. 
blame•less•ness, n. [uncountable]
blam•er, n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

blame  (blām), v., blamed, blam•ing, n. 
v.t. 

1. to hold responsible;
   find fault with;
   censure:
   I don't blame you for leaving him.
2. to place the responsibility for (a fault, error, etc.) (usually fol. by on):
   I blame the accident on her.
3. Informal Terms blast;
   damn (used as a mild curse):
   Blame the rotten luck.
4. Idioms to blame, at fault;
   censurable:
   I am to blame for his lateness.

n. 

5. an act of attributing fault;
   censure;
   reproof:
   The judge said he found nothing to justify blame in the accident.
6. responsibility for anything deserving of censure:
   We must all share the blame for this deplorable condition.

• Anglo-French, Old French bla(s)me, derivative of the verb, verbal
• Vulgar Latin *blastēmāre, for Late Latin blasphēmāre to blaspheme; (noun, nominal) Middle English
• Anglo-French, Old French blasmer
• (verb, verbal) Middle English blamen 1150–1200

blam′er, n. 
Synonyms

• 1, 2. reproach, reprove, reprehend, criticize.
  Blame, censure, condemn imply finding fault with someone or something. To blame is to hold accountable for, and disapprove because of, some error, mistake, omission, neglect, or the like:
  Whom do you blame for the disaster?
  The verb censure differs from the noun in connoting scolding or rebuking even more than adverse criticism:
  to censure one for extravagance.
  To condemn is to express an adverse (esp. legal) judgment, without recourse:
  to condemn conduct, a building, a person to death.
• 5. reprehension, condemnation, stricture, reproach, animadversion.
• 6. guilt, culpability, fault, sin.

Usage

Some speakers avoid blame on as informal (He blamed the fight on me), preferring blame alone (He blamed me) or blame for (He blamed me for it). Since all three forms occur with equal frequency in educated usage, they may all be considered equally acceptable.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

blame / bleɪm/ noun

1. responsibility for something that is wrong or deserving censure; culpability
2. an expression of condemnation; reproof

verb (transitive)

1. (usually followed by for) to attribute responsibility to; accuse: I blame him for the failure
2. (usually followed by on) to ascribe responsibility for (something) to: I blame the failure on him
3. to find fault with

Etymology: 12th Century: from Old French blasmer, ultimately from Late Latin blasphēmāre to blaspheme

ˈblamable, ˈblameable adjective

ˈblamably, ˈblameably adverb