Blame

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)

CIDE DICTIONARY

Blame, v. t. [OE. blamen, F. blâmer, OF. blasmer, fr. L. blasphemare to blaspheme, LL. also to blame, fr. Gr. blasfhmei^n to speak ill, to slander, to blaspheme, fr. bla`sfhmos evil speaking, perh, for blapsi`fhmos; bla`psis injury (fr. bla`ptein to injure) + fh`mh a saying, fr. fa`nai to say. Cf. Blaspheme, and see Fame.].

•  To censure; to express disapprobation of; to find fault with; to reproach.  [1913 Webster]

  "We have none to blame but ourselves."  [1913 Webster]
•  To bring reproach upon; to blemish.  [1913 Webster]

  " She . . . blamed her noble blood."  [1913 Webster]

  "You were to blame, I must be plain with you."  [1913 Webster]

To blame, to be blamed, or deserving blame; in fault; as, the conductor was to blame for the accident.

Blame, n. [OE. blame, fr. F. blâme, OF. blasme, fr. blâmer, OF. blasmer, to blame. See Blame, v.].

•  An expression of disapprobation fir something deemed to be wrong; imputation of fault; censure.  [1913 Webster]

  "Let me bear the blame forever."  [1913 Webster]
•  That which is deserving of censure or disapprobation; culpability; fault; crime; sin.  [1913 Webster]

  "Holy and without blame before him in love."  [1913 Webster]
•  Hurt; injury.  Spenser.  [1913 Webster]

Syn. -- Censure; reprehension; condemnation; reproach; fault; sin; crime; wrongdoing.

OXFORD DICTIONARY

Blame, v. & n.
--v.tr.
1 assign fault or responsibility to.
2 (foll. by on) assign the responsibility for (an error or wrong) to a person etc. (blamed his death on a poor diet).
--n.
1 responsibility for a bad result; culpability (shared the blame equally; put the blame on the bad weather).
2 the act of blaming or attributing responsibility; censure (she got all the blame).

Idiom

be to blame (often foll. by for) be responsible; deserve censure (she is not to blame for the accident). have only oneself to blame be solely responsible (for something one suffers). I don't blame you etc. I think your etc. action was justifiable.

Derivative

blameable adj.

Etymology

ME f. OF bla(s)mer (v.), blame (n.) f. pop.L blastemare f. eccl.L blasphemare reproach f. Gk blasphemeo blaspheme

THESAURUS

Blame

account for, accountability, accounting for, accredit with, accrete to, accusal, accusation, accuse, accusing, acknowledge, allegation, allegement, anathema, anathematize, anathemize, animadvert on, answerability, application, apply to, arraign, arraignment, arrogation, ascribe to, ascription, assign to, assignation, assignment, attach to, attachment, attribute to, attribution, bill of particulars, blame for, blame on, bring home to, bringing of charges, bringing to book, call to account, cast blame upon, cast reflection upon, castigation, censure, charge, charge on, charge to, complain against, complaint, condemn, condemnation, confess, connect with, connection with, count, credit, credit with, criticism, criticize, cry down, cry out against, cry out on, cry shame upon, culpability, damn, damnation, decrial, decry, delation, denounce, denouncement, denunciate, denunciation, derivation from, disapprobation, disapproval, etiology, excoriation, fasten upon, father upon, fault, fix on, fix upon, flaying, fulminate against, fulmination, fustigation, guilt, hang on, hold against, honor, impeach, impeachment, implication, impugn, imputation, impute, impute to, incriminate, indict, indictment, information, innuendo, insinuation, inveigh against, knock, lawsuit, lay to, laying of charges, liability, objurgation, onus, palaetiology, pillorying, pin on, pinpoint, place upon, placement, plaint, point to, prosecution, rap, rebuke, recriminate, recrimination, refer to, reference to, reflect upon, reprehend, reprehension, reprimand, reproach, reprobate, reprobation, reproof, reprove, responsibility, saddle on, saddle with, saddling, scold, set down to, settle upon, shake up, skin, skinning alive, stricture, suit, taxing, true bill, unspoken accusation, veiled accusation

ROGET THESAURUS

Blame

Attribution

VB attribute to, ascribe to, impute to, refer to, lay to, point to, trace to, bring home to, put down to, set down to, blame, charge on, ground on, invest with, assign as cause, lay at, the door of, father upon, account for, derive from, point out the reason, theorize, tell how it comes, put the saddle on the right horse.

Disapprobation

N disapprobation, disapproval, improbation, disesteem, disvaluation, displacency, odium, dislike, dispraise, discommendation, blame, censure, obloquy, detraction, disparagement, depreciation, denunciation, condemnation, ostracism, black list, animadversion, reflection, stricture, objection, exception, criticism, sardonic grin, sardonic laugh, sarcasm, insinuation, innuendo, bad compliment, poor compliment, left-handed compliment, satire, sneer, taunt, cavil, carping, censoriousness, hypercriticism, reprehension, remonstrance, expostulation, reproof, reprobation, admonition, increpation, reproach, rebuke, reprimand, castigation, jobation, lecture, curtain lecture, blow up, wigging, dressing, rating, scolding, trimming, correction, set down, rap on the knuckles, coup de bec, rebuff, slap, slap on the face, home thrust, hit, frown, scowl, black look, diatribe, jeremiad, jeremiade, tirade, philippic, clamor, outcry, hue and cry, hiss, hissing, sibilance, sibilation, catcall, execration, chiding, upbraiding, exprobation, abuse, vituperation, invective, objurgation, contumely, hard words, cutting words, bitter words, evil-speaking, bad language, personality, disapproving, scandalized, disparaging, condemnatory, damnatory, denunciatory, reproachful, abusive, objurgatory, clamorous, vituperative, defamatory, satirical, sarcastic, sardonic, cynical, dry, sharp, cutting, biting, severe, withering, trenchant, hard upon, censorious, critical, captious, carping, hypercritical, fastidious, sparing of praise, grudging praise, disapproved, chid, in bad odor, blown upon, unapproved, unblest, at a discount, exploded, weighed in the balance and found wanting, blameworthy, reprehensible, to blame, worthy of blame, answerable, uncommendable, exceptionable, not to be thought of, bad, vicious, unlamented, unbewailed, unpitied, with a wry face, reproachfully, Int, it is too bad!, it won't do, it will never do!, marry come up!, Oh!, come!, 'sdeath!, forbid it Heaven!, God forbid, Heaven forbid!, out upon, fie upon it!, away with!, tut!, O tempora!, O mores!, shame!, fie, fie for shame!, out on you!, tell it not in Gath!.

VB disapprove, dislike, lament, object to, take exception to, be scandalized at, think ill of, view with disfavor, view with dark eyes, view with jaundiced eyes, nil admirari, disvalue, improbate, frown upon, look grave, bend the brows, knit the brows, shake the head at, shrug the shoulders, turn up the nose, look askance, look black upon, look with an evil eye, make a wry face, make a wry mouth at, set one's face against, dispraise, discommend, disparage, deprecate, speak ill of, not speak well of, condemn, blame, lay blame upon, cast blame upon, censure, fronder, reproach, pass censure on, reprobate, impugn, remonstrate, expostulate, recriminate, reprehend, chide, admonish, berate, betongue, bring to account, call to account, call over the coals, rake over the coals, call to order, take to task, reprove, lecture, bring to book, read a lesson, read a lecture to, rebuke, correct, reprimand, chastise, castigate, lash, blow up, trounce, trim, laver la tete, overhaul, give it one, give it one finely, gibbet, accuse, impeach, denounce, hold up to reprobation, hold up to execration, expose, brand, gibbet, stigmatize, show up, pull up, take up, cry 'shame' upon, be outspoken, raise a hue and cry against, execrate, exprobate, speak daggers, vituperate, abuse, abuse like a pickpocket, scold, rate, objurgate, upbraid, fall foul of, jaw, rail, rail at, rail in good set terms, bark at, anathematize, call names, call by hard names, call by ugly names, avile, revile, vilify, vilipend, bespatter, backbite, clapperclaw, rave against, thunder against, fulminate against, load with reproaches, exclaim against, protest against, inveigh against, declaim against, cry out against, raise one's voice against, decry, cry down, run down, frown down, clamor, hiss, hoot, mob, ostracize, blacklist, draw up a round robin, sign a round robin, animadvert upon, reflect upon, glance at, cast reflection, cast reproach, cast a slur upon, insinuate, damn with faint praise, hint a fault and hesitate dislike, not to be able to say much for, scoff at, point at, twit, taunt, sneer at, satirize, lampoon, defame, depreciate, find fault with, criticize, cut up, pull to pieces, pick to pieces, take exception, cavil, peck at, nibble at, carp at, be censorious, pick holes, pick a hole, pick a hole in one's coat, make a fuss about, take down, take down a peg, set down, snub, snap one up, give a rap on the knuckles, throw a stone at, throw a stone in one's garden, have a fling, have a snap at, have words with, pluck a crow with, give one a wipe, give one a lick with the rough side of the tongue, incur blame, excite disapprobation, scandalize, shock, revolt, get a bad name, forfeit one's good opinion, be under a cloud, come under the ferule, bring a hornet's nest about one's ears, take blame, stand corrected, have to answer for.