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Blame Very Common

Blame has 8 different meanings across 3 categories:

Noun · Verb · Adjective

Definitions
Noun
1

an accusation that you are responsible for some lapse or misdeed

"his incrimination was based on my testimony"

"the police laid the blame on the driver"

2

a reproach for some lapse or misdeed

"he took the blame for it"

"it was a bum rap"

3

Censure.

"The manager decided to blame the entire team for the project's failure, even though only one person made a mistake."

Verb
1

put or pin the blame on

"The manager decided to put all the blame on the new intern for the project's failure."

2

harass with constant criticism

"Don't always pick on your little brother"

3

attribute responsibility to

"We blamed the accident on her"

"The tragedy was charged to her inexperience"

4

To censure (someone or something); to criticize.

"The manager blamed the new policy for the drop in employee morale, even though no data supported that claim."

In plain English: To blame someone means to say they are responsible for something bad that happened.

"Do not blame him for forgetting your name; he was clearly confused by all the noise at the party."

Usage: Use blame when you want someone else to take responsibility for an error, rather than using the more general verb criticize which simply means to express disapproval without necessarily assigning fault. Avoid confusing this with "blameless," which is an adjective describing a person who has not been held responsible.

Adjective
1

expletives used informally as intensifiers

"he's a blasted idiot"

"it's a blamed shame"

"a blame cold winter"

"not a blessed dime"

"I'll be damned (or blessed or darned or goddamned) if I'll do any such thing"

"he's a damn (or goddam or goddamned) fool"

"a deuced idiot"

"an infernal nuisance"

Example Sentences
"Do not blame him for forgetting your name; he was clearly confused by all the noise at the party." verb
"Don't blame me for your poor grades." verb
"She blamed the rain for the canceled picnic." verb
"You should not blame him since he tried his best." verb
See Also
fault source control feature censure dispraise blamable throw under bus bark up wrong tree
Related Terms
Antonyms
free
Broader Terms (hypernyms)
accusation reproach charge knock impute
Narrower Terms (hyponyms)
self-incrimination

Origin

The word "blame" entered Middle English via the Old French verb blasmer, which originally meant to speak evilly or curse someone. It is a doublet of "blaspheme," having replaced an earlier native English term that carried the same meaning.

Rhyming Words
ame hame game same lame jame mame wame fame name came tame rame dame plame arame shame thame syame brame
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