/ bleɪm; NAmE / verb , noun
■ verb
[ vn ] blame sb/sth (for sth) | blame sth on sb/sth to think or say that sb/sth is responsible for sth bad :
She doesn't blame anyone for her father's death.
A dropped cigarette is being blamed for the fire.
Police are blaming the accident on dangerous driving.
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IDIOMS
- be to blame (for sth)
- don't blame me
- I don't blame you / her, etc. (for doing sth)
- only have yourself to blame
■ noun
[ U ] blame (for sth) responsibility for doing sth badly or wrongly; saying that sb is responsible for sth :
to lay / put the blame for sth on sb
The government will have to take the blame for the riots.
Why do I always get the blame for everything that goes wrong?
—compare credit noun (7)
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WORD ORIGIN
Middle English : from Old French blamer , blasmer (verb), from a popular Latin variant of ecclesiastical Latin blasphemare reproach, revile, blaspheme, from Greek blasphēmein , from blasphēmos evil-speaking.