Liberal Dictionary English Dictionary
adjective
- confounded: The blamed car won’t start.
adverb
- confoundedly; excessively: It’s blamed cold out tonight.
verb (used with object), blamed, blam·ing.
- to hold responsible; find fault with; censure: I don’t blame you for leaving him.
- to place the responsibility for (a fault, error, etc.) (usually followed by on): I blame the accident on her.
- Informal. blast; damn (used as a mild curse): Blame the rotten luck.
noun
- an act of attributing fault; censure; reproof: The judge said he found nothing to justify blame in the accident.
- responsibility for anything deserving of censure: We must all share the blame for this deplorable condition.
- to blame, at fault; censurable: I am to blame for his lateness.
adjective, adverb
- mainly US a euphemistic word for damned (def. 2), damned (def. 3)
noun
- responsibility for something that is wrong or deserving censure; culpability
- an expression of condemnation; reproof
- be to blame to be at fault or culpable
verb (tr)
- (usually foll by for) to attribute responsibility to; accuseI blame him for the failure
- (usually foll by on) to ascribe responsibility for (something) toI blame the failure on him
- to find fault with
“confoundedly” 1833, later also as an adjective, from past participle of blame (v.), as a “euphemistic evasion of the horrible word damn.” [Bartlett, “Dictionary of Americanisms,” 1848].
This adjective ‘blamed’ is the virtuous oath by which simple people, who are improving their habits, cure themselves of a stronger epithet. [Edward Everett Hale, “If, Yes, and Perhaps,” 1868]
Cf. also blamenation (1837) as an expletive. The imprecation blame me is attested from 1830.
c.1200, “find fault with;” c.1300, “lay blame on,” from Old French blasmer (12c., Modern French blâmer) “to rebuke, reprimand, condemn, criticize,” from Vulgar Latin *blastemare, from Late Latin blasphemare “revile, reproach” (see blaspheme). Replaced Old English witan with long “i.” Related: Blamed; blaming.
early 13c., from Old French blasme “blame, reproach; condemnation,” a back-formation from blasmer (see blame (v.)).
see lay (the blame) on; to blame.