blame
HighNeutral to Formal
Definition
Meaning
to say or think that someone or something is responsible for something bad
The responsibility for a fault or wrong; also used as a noun to refer to this responsibility or criticism.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Focuses on assigning responsibility for a negative outcome. Can carry emotional weight of accusation. Often used with 'for'.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minimal. Slight preference in UK English for the construction 'to blame someone for something' over 'to blame something on someone', though both are used.
Connotations
Similar connotations of responsibility and fault in both varieties.
Frequency
Equally high frequency in both varieties.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
blame someone for somethingblame something on someonebe to blame (for something)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “the blame game”
- “a bad workman blames his tools”
- “point the finger of blame”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Used in reports to assign responsibility for project failures or financial losses.
Academic
Used in ethics, sociology, and history to discuss causality and moral responsibility.
Everyday
Common in conversations about mistakes, accidents, and relationship conflicts.
Technical
Used in computing (e.g., 'blame tool' in version control) and engineering failure analysis.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Don't blame me if you miss the last train.
- The report blamed inadequate funding for the failure.
- He always blames his tools when the DIY goes wrong.
American English
- I blame the traffic for making me late.
- The coach blamed the loss on poor refereeing.
- You can't blame the software for user error.
adverb
British English
- She looked at him blamefully.
- He spoke blamably about the process.
American English
- 'It was your idea,' he said blamefully.
- The system was blamably flawed from the start.
adjective
British English
- The blame culture in the office is toxic.
- He felt very blameworthy after the incident.
American English
- She is not blameworthy in this situation.
- We need to move past this blame-oriented mindset.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I blame you!
- The teacher blamed Mark.
- Who is to blame?
- Don't blame me for your mistake.
- She blamed the bad weather for the cancelled picnic.
- The company accepted the blame for the error.
- The investigation sought to apportion blame for the security breach.
- He unfairly shoulders all the blame for the team's poor performance.
- Politicians often play the blame game instead of finding solutions.
- The CEO deflected blame onto mid-level management during the shareholder meeting.
- The historian's thesis absolves the emperor of blame, attributing the empire's decline to systemic economic factors.
- A culture of fear and blame stifles innovation and honest reporting.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
BLAME sounds like 'LAME' – if you BLAME someone unfairly, your argument might be LAME.
Conceptual Metaphor
BLAME IS A BURDEN (to bear/shoulder the blame), BLAME IS A COMMODITY (to apportion/share the blame), BLAME IS A WEAPON (to lay/hurl blame).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid directly translating 'винить' + Accusative as 'blame' + Accusative. Use 'blame FOR' + Gerund/Noun. 'He blamed me for breaking it,' not 'He blamed my breaking.'
- The phrase 'to be to blame' is a fixed idiom (He is to blame). Don't conjugate 'to be'.
- The noun 'blame' is uncountable in English (a lot of blame, not 'many blames').
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect: 'She blamed the mistake to him.' Correct: 'She blamed him for the mistake.' OR 'She blamed the mistake on him.'
- Incorrect: 'He is to blamed for the accident.' Correct: 'He is to blame for the accident.'
- Incorrect: 'They received many blames.' Correct: 'They received a lot of blame.'
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is the CORRECT usage of 'blame'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Both are correct and commonly used. 'Blame someone for something' is slightly more formal. 'Blame something on someone' can sometimes sound more accusatory.
No, 'blame' as a noun is generally uncountable. You have 'a lot of blame' or 'the blame', not 'a blame' or 'blames'.
'Blame' focuses on assigning responsibility for a negative outcome. 'Accuse' is stronger and more formal, implying a specific charge of wrongdoing, often legally or morally. You blame someone for a mess; you accuse someone of theft.
It is a fixed phrase meaning 'to be responsible' (for something bad). It is always used in the infinitive form 'to blame' after 'be' (is/am/are/was/were). Example: 'Faulty wiring was to blame for the fire.'
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