blame

[[t]ble͟ɪm[/t]]

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blames, blaming, blamed

1) VERB If you blame a person or thing for something bad, you believe or say that they are responsible for it or that they caused it.

[V n for n] The commission is expected to blame the army for many of the atrocities...

[V n on n] The police blamed the explosion on terrorists...

[V n] If it wasn't Sam's fault, why was I blaming him?

N-UNCOUNT

Blame is also a noun.

Nothing could relieve my terrible sense of blame.

2) N-UNCOUNT: oft N for n/-ing The blame for something bad that has happened is the responsibility for causing it or letting it happen.

Some of the blame for the miscarriage of justice must be borne by the solicitors...

The president put the blame squarely on his opponent.

3) VERB: usu with brd-neg If you say that you do not blame someone for doing something, you mean that you consider it was a reasonable thing to do in the circumstances.

[V n for -ing] I do not blame them for trying to make some money...

[V n] He slammed the door and stormed off. I could hardly blame him.

4) PHRASE: v-link PHR If someone is to blame for something bad that has happened, they are responsible for causing it.

If their forces were not involved, then who is to blame?...

The policy is partly to blame for causing the worst unemployment in Europe.

5) PHRASE: V inflects If you say that someone has only themselves to blame or has no-one but themselves to blame, you mean that they are responsible for something bad that has happened to them and that you have no sympathy for them.

My life is ruined and I suppose I only have myself to blame.