B2verb1K

Blame

UK /["/bleɪm/","/bleɪmz/","/bleɪmd/","/ˈbleɪmɪŋ/"]/US /["/bleɪm/","/bleɪmz/","/bleɪmd/","/ˈbleɪmɪŋ/"]/

Definition

to think or say that somebody/something is responsible for something bad

In simple words: To say someone is responsible for something bad.

Examples

It's easy to blame others when things go wrong.
She didn’t want to be the one to blame for the mistake.
Do not blame yourself for the decisions you made in the past.
They quickly shifted the blame away from themselves.
He thought it was unfair to blame the whole team for a single error.
In relationships, it’s crucial to communicate rather than to blame one another.
The government tends to blame the economic downturn on global factors.
When you blame someone, make sure you have all the facts.
Children often blame their siblings for things they did themselves.
It’s human nature to blame others for our own failures.

Usage notes

Use 'blame' when pointing to responsibility, often in a negative context. Avoid in overly formal situations; 'attribute' might be better there.

Grammar pattern

blame + object

Memory hint

Think of 'blame' as 'blame the same' – pointing to the same person for the trouble.

Collocations

unfairly
unjustly
partly
can’t
don’t
can hardly
for
on
be to blame (for something)
be widely blamed for something

Synonyms

accuse
fault
charge
attribute
lay blame

Antonyms

praise
commend
exonerate

Common mistakes

'Blame' can be used without an object, but it's clearer with one (e.g., 'She blames him').
Confused with 'accuse' - 'blaming' doesn’t always imply wrongdoing, while 'accusing' does.
Some learners forget to use the preposition 'for' after 'blame' when stating the cause.