I. ˈblām transitive verb
( -ed/-ing/-s )
Etymology: Middle English blamen, from Old French blamer, blasmer, from (assumed) Vulgar Latin blastemare, alteration of Late Latin blasphemare to revile, blaspheme, from Greek blasphēmein to speak ill of, blaspheme, from blasphēmos evil-speaking, from blas- (perhaps akin to Greek meleos futile, unhappy) + -phēmos (from phanai to say); akin to Middle Irish mell error, Lithuanian melas lie, Avestan mairya deceitful — more at ban
1. : to express disapproval of : find fault with : reproach
Aristotle, while blaming the man who is unduly passionate, blames equally the man who is insensitive — G.L.Dickinson
2.
a. : to attribute responsibility to : make answerable — usually used with for
he blamed himself for the failure on the agricultural front — T.P.Whitney
b. : to ascribe responsibility for : account for by placing culpability — usually used with on
dimly conscious that something was wrong, he blamed it on his father — E.L.Acken
3. obsolete : to bring reproach upon : lower , abase
4. : blast , damn — used in the imperative as a mild imprecation
blame this rainy weather
Synonyms: see criticize
•
- to blame
II. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French, from blamer
1. : expression of disapproval or reproach : reproof , censure
saying nothing … either in the way of blame or praise — R.L.Stevenson
2.
a. : culpability , fault
acknowledge the world as a world of common blame — Muriel Rukeyser
b. archaic : guilt , crime , sin
that we should be holy and without blame before him — Eph 1:4 (Authorized Version)
3. : responsibility for something that deserves or is felt to deserve censure
the low-tax lobby at home must share the blame for starving local and state governments — K.F.Zeisler
4. obsolete : hurt , injury