— blamer , n.
/blaym/ , v. , blamed, blaming , 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. blast; damn (used as a mild curse): Blame the rotten luck.
4. 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.
[ 1150-1200; (v.) ME blamen blasmer blastemare, for LL blasphemare to BLASPHEME; (n.) ME bla ( s ) me, deriv. of the v. ]
Syn. 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.