1. assign responsibility for a fault or wrong: "the inquiry blamed the engineer for the accident"Similarhold responsiblehold accountablehold liableplace/lay the blame oncensurecriticizecondemnaccuse offind/consider guilty ofassign fault/liability/guilt toarchaic:inculpateascribe toattribute toimpute tolay at the door ofput down toset down toinformal:pinstickOppositeabsolveforgive
▪ assign the responsibility for something bad to (someone or something):"they blame youth crime on unemployment"
noun
1. responsibility for a fault or wrong:"his players had to take the blame"
Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French blamer, blasmer (verb), from a popular Latin variant of ecclesiastical Latin blasphemare ‘reproach, revile, blaspheme’, from Greek blasphēmein (see blaspheme).