blame1 verbblame2 noun
blameblame1 /bleɪm/ ●●● S2 W3 verb [transitive] 
WORD ORIGINblame1
Origin:
1100-1200 Old French blamer, from Late Latin blasphemare; ➔ BLASPHEMEVERB TABLE
blame
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | blame |
| he, she, it | blames | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | blamed |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have blamed |
| he, she, it | has blamed | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had blamed |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will blame |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have blamed |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am blaming |
| he, she, it | is blaming | |
| you, we, they | are blaming | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was blaming |
| you, we, they | were blaming | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been blaming |
| he, she, it | has been blaming | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been blaming |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be blaming |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been blaming |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Democrats have blamed Republicans for the failure to reach an agreement.
- Everyone wants to blame the referees when their team loses.
- For many years I blamed myself for her death.
- It's your idea - don't blame me if it doesn't work.
- Some of the women blamed their husbands' violence on drinking.
- Apple blamed weaker-than-expected demand and pricing pressures.
- But anomalies like these should not be blamed on linguistics, higher mathematics or the new history.
- Here again, the vagaries of Government policy are at least partly to blame.
- It wasn't my character, but circumstances which were to blame.
- Peres is to be blamed for nothing.
- The angry Texan blamed his dance partner for tripping him.
- You had to talk to those dear old folk at the Empress and I don't blame you.
THESAURUS
verb [transitive] to say or think that someone or something is responsible for something bad that has happened: · Democrats have blamed Republicans for the failure to reach an agreement.· Police blamed bad weather for a series of accidents on the roads.· For many years I blamed myself for her death.· They blamed the failure of the business on the economic downturn.
to say who or what you think is responsible for something bad that has happened, often unfairly or wrongly: · Don’t try to put the blame on me!· Subsequent investigations placed the blame squarely on city officials.· Farmers have laid the blame for their problems entirely on EU policies.
especially spoken to say that someone is responsible for something bad that has happened: · Are you saying it’s my fault that we lost the game?
to say that someone is responsible for something bad that has happened, because it was their duty to prevent it from happening: · He was held personally responsible for the failure of the project.
informal (also carry the can British English informal) to be blamed and punished for something that you did not do, or that someone else is also responsible for: · He expects his wife to take the rap for him.· Alan’s colleagues decided to let him carry the can.
Longman Language Activatorto blame someone for something to say or think that someone is responsible for something bad that has happened: · It's your idea - don't blame me if it doesn't work.· Everyone wants to blame the referees when their team loses.blame somebody for something: · Democrats have blamed Republicans for the failure to reach an agreement.blame something on somebody/something: · Some of the women blamed their husbands' violence on drinking.blame yourself: · For many years I blamed myself for her death.
especially spoken to say that someone is responsible for something bad that has happened: · Everyone is saying it's my fault, but I didn't have anything to do with it.say it's sb's fault (that): · How can you say it's my fault that you lost your job?
to say who you think is responsible for something bad that has happened, often unfairly or wrongly: · Don't try to put the blame on me!· Subsequent investigations placed the blame squarely on city officials.put/lay the blame for something on somebody/something: · Farmers have laid the blame for their problems entirely on EU policies.
to say that someone is guilty of a crime or of doing something bad: · They're accusing me without any proof.accuse somebody of doing something: · Are you accusing her of lying?· The woman was accused of having beaten her four-year-old daughter.be accused of murder/armed robbery etc: · West has been accused of first-degree murder.
formal to officially say which people are responsible for something bad that has happened: · It is not easy for the Committee of Inquiry to apportion blame in such a complicated case.
to say that it is someone's fault that something bad has happened because you think it was their duty to prevent this from happening: · It's your decision - you can't hold me responsible if it goes wrong.hold sb responsible for: · Alex still holds his mother responsible for the divorce.hold somebody partly/largely/entirely responsible: · The shipment never arrived, and we are holding the freight company entirely responsible.hold somebody personally responsible (=blame one person only): · If anything happens to Donny, I'll hold you personally responsible.
to feel that something is your fault and wish that you had done more to prevent it from happening: · There's no point in reproaching yourself - there's nothing you could have done.reproach yourself for: · He reproached himself for not having called the police sooner.
to become angry at someone who tells you bad news even though they are not responsible for what has happened: · If you don't listen and instead shoot the messenger, you're not going to learn about the problems you need to deal with.
to be blamed for something, especially unfairly to be blamed for something, especially something that you did not do: · Hurry up! It's me who'll get the blame if we're late.· The crowds cause the problems, but the police get blamed for it.get the blame/get blamed for: · Television often gets blamed for the decline in family life.get the blame/get blamed for doing something: · Karen got blamed for losing the deal.
if a person, group, or organization is in the firing line , they are publicly blamed for something bad that has happened because people think they are officially responsible: · Rail bosses are in the firing line again following last week's accident.· Trimble may find himself on the firing line for not responding to the escalating violence.
to accept that people will blame you for something, either because it is your fault or because they think it is your fault: · The coach took the blame for his team's loss.take the blame for: · My wife didn't want me to take the blame for something we were both involved in.· I took the blame for Butch because I was afraid of him.
informal to be blamed and punished for a crime or a mistake, even if you did not do it: · I'm not going to take the rap for management's mistakes.take the rap for: · The police will make sure someone takes the rap for this, and they don't care who it is.
British informal to be the only person blamed and punished for something that is someone else's fault as well as your own: · Alan's senior colleagues decided to let him carry the can.carry the can for: · As chairman I was left to carry the can for a decision that made no sense and was not of my doing.
American to be blamed and punished for a mistake or a crime, even if you did not do it: · He won't go to jail, he'll get one of his associates to take the fall.take the fall for: · If you think I'm going to take the fall for the scandal just to protect the Senator, you're crazy.
someone who is unfairly blamed for something someone who is unfairly blamed or punished for something, because people want to see that someone is blamed or punished for it: · The captain was just a scapegoat. The real villains were the people in charge of the shipping company.· The public is looking for a scapegoat, but no one will be accused until a full inquiry has been held.
especially American someone who is punished for someone else's crime or mistake, because people have deliberately made it look as if he or she is responsible: · Journalists asked if the Secretary of State was going be the fall guy for the President's secret arms deal.· Benson made it clear he does not intend to be the fall guy.
to blame someone else for something that is your fault: shift the blame onto · You can't always shift the blame onto your secretary.shift the blame for · Lawyers for the doctor have tried to shift the blame for the child's death onto the parents.
informal to try to blame someone else for a problem at work that you are responsible for: · You were in charge of that project, so don't try to pass the buck.pass the buck to: · It was his mistake but he tried to pass the buck to another manager.
to prove that someone should not be blamed to officially show that someone who has been blamed for something is not in fact responsible for it. Exonerate is more formal than clear .: · Simmons was tried and cleared of all charges.· False accusations were made, but he was eventually exonerated.
when people blame each other a situation in which people are blaming each other: · Family life had become unbearable for her - the arguments, the recriminations, the accusations - so she left.· Smith's widow and son have traded recriminations since his death in August.
when something bad is someone's fault if something is someone's fault , they are responsible for it, especially because they made a mistake: · He played very well, and it is not his fault we lost.be somebody's own fault (=when someone is responsible for something bad that happens to them): · Marie failed the exam, but it was her own fault - she didn't do any work.be sb's fault (that): · I'm so sorry. It's my fault that we're so late.be sb's fault for doing something: · Of course she was angry - but it's your fault for telling her about the whole thing in the first place.the fault of somebody: · Suggesting that our problems are the fault of someone else won't solve anything.
if someone or something is to blame for a bad situation, they caused it: · When kids do badly at school, it's not always the teachers who are to blame.be to blame for: · Some people think television is to blame for a lot of the problems in modern society.· She was as much to blame for the breakup of their marriage as he was.
if someone is responsible for an accident, crime etc, they caused it and they should be punished for it: · The police are trying to find out who was responsible.be responsible for: · There is a reward for information leading to the arrest of the people responsible for the explosion.feel responsible (=think that something is your fault): · I knew the accident wasn't really my fault, but I can't help feeling a little responsible.
if someone, especially a group of people or an organization, is at fault , they are responsible for something bad that has happened because they did not behave correctly or did not take enough care: · The accident report found both drivers to be at fault.be at fault for doing something: · With regard to the chaos after the earthquake, many people believe the government is at fault for not responding quickly enough.
if you only have yourself to blame for something bad that has happened, it is your own fault that it happened and you should not feel sorry for yourself: · His wife's left him but he only has himself to blame.only have yourself to blame for doing something: · I've only got myself to blame for losing the race.
to think that it is your fault that something bad has happened, so that you feel very upset or ashamed: · You mustn't blame yourself -- it wasn't your fault.· Children sometimes feel responsible for their parents divorcing and blame themselves.blame yourself for: · He never stopped blaming himself for his wife's death.
when something is not someone's fault if something is not someone's fault , they did not make it happen and they should not be blamed for it: · Try not to worry about it too much - it's not your fault.· She felt guilty, even though the accident wasn't her fault.be not sb's fault (that): · It wasn't the builders' fault that the work wasn't finished on time.
if something bad happens through no fault of your own , it is not your fault that it happens but you suffer because of it: · The center exists to help those who have lost their jobs through no fault of their own.· Because of the budget cuts, some students, through no fault of their own, may have a hard time paying their way.
to not be responsible for something bad that happens - use this especially when other people think you might have done something to make it happen: · The press won't leave him alone, but he wasn't really to blame.not be to blame for: · Hospital workers were not to blame for a nine-year-old's death, a court decided yesterday.· The report said that no one was to blame for the accident.
especially spoken use this to say that someone should not be blamed for something because they cannot stop it from happening: · "Stop walking up and down like that!" "I can't help it - I'm really nervous."· I tried not to cry but I just couldn't help it.can't help it if: · He can't help it if they didn't understand what he was telling them to do.
to feel guilty to feel worried and unhappy because you have done something wrong or because you have upset someone: · I felt really guilty after spending all that money.· Are you feeling guilty because you didn't help her?feel guilty about: · Ed felt guilty about leaving work so early.
to feel very guilty and disappointed with yourself because you have done something wrong or behaved in an unpleasant or embarrassing way: · She felt thoroughly ashamed when she remembered how drunk she'd been.be/feel ashamed of: · I feel ashamed of what I did.be/feel ashamed to do something: · I'm ashamed to admit it, but I wasn't really sorry when he died.
especially spoken to feel very sorry because you have upset someone or done something that you should not have done: · We had a long talk about it afterwards and I know she felt bad.feel bad that: · I should have told Helen I was sorry. I feel really bad that I didn't.feel bad about: · I feel bad about what I said. Things haven't been easy for either of us.feel bad about doing something: · I feel bad about not going to Debbie's party, but I've just got too much to do.
to feel that it was your fault that something bad happened: · You mustn't blame yourself. It was an accident. There was nothing you could have done.blame yourself for: · Assistant coach Rex Hughes blamed himself for the team's poor performance.
to feel guilty about something bad that has happened even though you did not cause it, especially when you feel you could have prevented it: · I'm sorry it didn't work out. I feel responsible.feel responsible for: · For a long time afterwards I felt responsible for his death.
to feel guilty for a long time and keep thinking about something bad that you have done: · I suppose I did have a guilty conscience for a while, but not any more.have a guilty conscience about: · Why is she being so nice to everyone all of a sudden? She's obviously got a guilty conscience about something.
if something bad that you have done is on your conscience , you cannot stop feeling guilty and thinking about it: · Even if you didn't get caught, the murder would be on your conscience for the rest of your life.· In the end Martin told his wife about his affair - he just couldn't live with it on his conscience.
when it is right or reasonable to do something use this to talk about what someone has done or may do, to say that you agree with it because it seems fair or reasonable: right to do something: · You were right to complain - the food was cold.· The screenwriter was right to focus on just one aspect of a long and complicated novel.the right thing to do: · I took a pay cut to come here, but I'm sure it was the right thing to do.do the right thing: · Do the right thing - turn off the TV and get the kids playing outside.
if you say that someone is justified in doing something, or that something they do is justified , you believe what they do is reasonable in that situation: · I don't think Colin's criticisms were really justified.be/feel justified in doing something: · The government feels justified in using military force to protect its own citizens.· The landlord may be justified in charging for any additional work that needs to be done.
if an action is reasonable , it is fair and sensible: · Campaigners say that there is no reasonable objection to women becoming priests.it is reasonable to do something: · It is reasonable to expect members to pay a small fee.· It is reasonable to assume watching a lot of television at an early age interferes with development.it is reasonable that: · It is reasonable that a prospective employer should want to know if someone has a criminal record.
spoken informal say this when you can understand why someone has behaved in a particular way, and you think they were right: · "Sheila's left her husband." "Well, I don't blame her!"I don't blame sb for (doing) something: · I don't blame you for losing your temper with Ann.· It may have been a joke, but you can't blame the women in the department for being angry.
a justifiable feeling, action, or reaction is acceptable because there is a good reason for it: · Can violence ever be a justifiable method of protest?· Reed said the tax increases were not only justifiable, but unavoidable.· Is football a justifiable expense when the college cannot afford enough English classes to meet students' needs?
fair, correct, or reasonable according to accepted rules, facts, or standards of behaviour: · He had a legitimate reason for being late.· The way governments treat their people is a legitimate concern for the international community.it is legitimate to do something: · It is legitimate to suggest that taxes should affect people with higher incomes more than they affect poorer people.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
The decision to increase interest rates was widely blamed (=blamed by many people) for the crisis. Television is partly to blame.COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES It’s not easy to apportion blame (=say who deserves to be blamed) when a marriage breaks up. Part of the blame must lie with social services. Don’t try to pin the blame on me! I don’t want to point a finger of blame at anyone. He’s the kind of man who makes things happen but lets others take the credit.
The decision to increase interest rates was widely blamed (=blamed by many people) for the crisis. Television is partly to blame. It’s not easy to apportion blame (=say who deserves to be blamed) when a marriage breaks up. Part of the blame must lie with social services. Don’t try to pin the blame on me! I don’t want to point a finger of blame at anyone.· Parents are being made to shoulder the blame.
He’s the kind of man who makes things happen but lets others take the credit. (=to say that someone is responsible for their own bad situation)· It is blaming the victim to ask the woman what she does that makes her husband lose his temper and hit her.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB· And she could hardly blame him after the disaster of their own brief marriage, Laura now thought wryly.· A lot of that was dangerously below code, but you could hardly blame people.· We could hardly blame anyone, students or advisers, if they didn't.· The authorities had become very protective, and one hardly blamed them.· Jasper wasn't too keen to start with and you can hardly blame him, but now he's fine about it.· You could hardly blame them, though, for feeling bewildered from time to time.· You can hardly blame Dixons for not making this suggestion.
· Mr Hanley also partly blamed a lack of support among the employers of part-timers for the drop in their numbers.
· Mr Delors has been widely blamed for causing the latest crisis.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► I don’t blame you/you can hardly blame him etc► somebody only has himself/herself to blamePHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1to say or think that someone or something is responsible for something bad: - A growing number of industry experts say the industry itself is to blame for its deep-seated perception problems.
- And as we demonstrated earlier, in organizations where everyone is to blame, no one is really to blame.
- Anything but admit the perpetrator of a crime is to blame.
- If, at 57, he looks frailer than ever, a recent major intestinal operation is to blame.
- No one is to blame except myself.
- So who is to blame -- hunters, wildlife managers, hikers, developers?
- The publicans say the brewery shouldn't be penalising them when the recession is to blame.
- U.S. officials argue that Hussein is to blame for most of the hardship.
- Go ahead, but don't blame me if it doesn't work.
- All you can do in such cases is accept responsibility for the emotions you feel when you are around such people.
- Governors need to inform themselves thoroughly about the current state of the school building before they accept responsibility for it.
- If people are to accept responsibility for outcomes, they will insist upon being substantively included in the decision process.
- May we learn to accept responsibility for our own actions and inactions and for our mistakes as well as for our success.
- One central committee member, Ognjen Krstulovic, resigned because he could not accept responsibility for the implementation of the policy.
- People in a position of influence could accept responsibility for implementing the results.
- These must be obtained personally and we can not accept responsibility for them.
- You have to accept responsibility for the fruits of your actions, in the scientific field as elsewhere.
- Thompson came in for sharp criticism from women's groups.
- Mr Gonzalez has also come in for criticism from within his own party.
- NTOs have come in for criticism for failing to make significant strides in plugging the skills gap.
- The Belfry came in for criticism with some newspapers saying it was no place to stage a match of this importance.
- The Court of Appeal has struggled to reconcile the two decisions but has come in for criticism.
- The patient's colour, face and body features as well as pulse and tongue will also come in for scrutiny.
- He says it doesn't make sense to point the finger of blame, it's the law that is at fault.
- Criticising Alan for saying how well scum are playing is a bit like shooting the messenger who brings bad news.
- A third means of avoiding responsibility consists of shifting the blame to even higher officials.
- He had to shift the blame, find a sacrificial victim.
- Her comments on Radio Derby came as Tories tried to shift the blame for Britain's economic ills elsewhere.
- In other words that they were shifting the blame.
- It shifts the blame to belief.
- Leaving the abusive marriage, or divorcing him, will be branded desertion or a sin, shifting the blame to her.
- Penney also shifted the responsibilities and titles of several other executives in different regions.
- Time after time, ministers have tried to shift the blame for rising unemployment to the down-turn in the world economy.
Don’t blame me – it’s not my fault. I blame his mother. She does everything for him.blame somebody/something for something Marie still blames herself for Patrick’s death. The report blames poor safety standards for the accident. The decision to increase interest rates was widely blamed (=blamed by many people) for the crisis.blame something on somebody/something One of the computers is broken and she’s blaming it on me. The crash was blamed on pilot error.2somebody/something is to blame (for something) used to say that someone or something is responsible for something bad: Officials believe that more than one person may be to blame for the fire.partly/largely/entirely etc to blame Television is partly to blame.RegisterIn everyday English, people usually say something is someone's fault, rather than saying they are to blame: He was to blame for the accident. ➔ The accident was his fault.3I don’t blame you/you can hardly blame him etc spoken used to say that you think it was right or reasonable for someone to do what they did: ‘She’s left her husband.’ ‘I don’t blame her, after the way he treated her.’ You can hardly blame him for not waiting.4don’t blame me spoken used when you are advising someone not to do something but you think that they will do it in spite of your advice: Buy it then, but don’t blame me when it breaks down.5somebody only has himself/herself to blame spoken used to say that someone’s problems are their own fault: If he fails his exams, he’ll only have himself to blame.THESAURUSblame verb [transitive] to say or think that someone or something is responsible for something bad that has happened: · Democrats have blamed Republicans for the failure to reach an agreement.· Police blamed bad weather for a series of accidents on the roads.· For many years I blamed myself for her death.· They blamed the failure of the business on the economic downturn.put/place/lay the blame on somebody/something to say who or what you think is responsible for something bad that has happened, often unfairly or wrongly: · Don’t try to put the blame on me!· Subsequent investigations placed the blame squarely on city officials.· Farmers have laid the blame for their problems entirely on EU policies.say it’s somebody’s fault especially spoken to say that someone is responsible for something bad that has happened: · Are you saying it’s my fault that we lost the game?hold somebody responsible to say that someone is responsible for something bad that has happened, because it was their duty to prevent it from happening: · He was held personally responsible for the failure of the project.take the rap informal (also carry the can British English informal) to be blamed and punished for something that you did not do, or that someone else is also responsible for: · He expects his wife to take the rap for him.· Alan’s colleagues decided to let him carry the can.blame1 verbblame2 noun
blameblame2 ●●● S3 W2 noun [uncountable] EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
- But listening to Ferrell and Armstrong, it sounded like there was plenty of blame to go around.
- Do not place the blame anywhere but on yourself, because you alone have chosen that path.
- Hence, she is considered to share the blame.
- If we allow that logic then, the time must be approaching that the guy taking credit must now accept the blame.
- Pitta's critics concede that many quarters share the blame for Sao Paulo's afflictions.
- Taylor deserves a dollop of the blame.
- The city was rife with forlorn single women, and there was plenty of blame to go around.
Longman Language Activatorto blame someone for something
to say or think that someone is responsible for something bad that has happened: · It's your idea - don't blame me if it doesn't work.· Everyone wants to blame the referees when their team loses.blame somebody for something: · Democrats have blamed Republicans for the failure to reach an agreement.blame something on somebody/something: · Some of the women blamed their husbands' violence on drinking.blame yourself: · For many years I blamed myself for her death.
especially spoken to say that someone is responsible for something bad that has happened: · Everyone is saying it's my fault, but I didn't have anything to do with it.say it's sb's fault (that): · How can you say it's my fault that you lost your job?
to say who you think is responsible for something bad that has happened, often unfairly or wrongly: · Don't try to put the blame on me!· Subsequent investigations placed the blame squarely on city officials.put/lay the blame for something on somebody/something: · Farmers have laid the blame for their problems entirely on EU policies.
to say that someone is guilty of a crime or of doing something bad: · They're accusing me without any proof.accuse somebody of doing something: · Are you accusing her of lying?· The woman was accused of having beaten her four-year-old daughter.be accused of murder/armed robbery etc: · West has been accused of first-degree murder.
formal to officially say which people are responsible for something bad that has happened: · It is not easy for the Committee of Inquiry to apportion blame in such a complicated case.
to say that it is someone's fault that something bad has happened because you think it was their duty to prevent this from happening: · It's your decision - you can't hold me responsible if it goes wrong.hold sb responsible for: · Alex still holds his mother responsible for the divorce.hold somebody partly/largely/entirely responsible: · The shipment never arrived, and we are holding the freight company entirely responsible.hold somebody personally responsible (=blame one person only): · If anything happens to Donny, I'll hold you personally responsible.
to feel that something is your fault and wish that you had done more to prevent it from happening: · There's no point in reproaching yourself - there's nothing you could have done.reproach yourself for: · He reproached himself for not having called the police sooner.
to become angry at someone who tells you bad news even though they are not responsible for what has happened: · If you don't listen and instead shoot the messenger, you're not going to learn about the problems you need to deal with.
to be blamed for something, especially unfairly to be blamed for something, especially something that you did not do: · Hurry up! It's me who'll get the blame if we're late.· The crowds cause the problems, but the police get blamed for it.get the blame/get blamed for: · Television often gets blamed for the decline in family life.get the blame/get blamed for doing something: · Karen got blamed for losing the deal.
if a person, group, or organization is in the firing line , they are publicly blamed for something bad that has happened because people think they are officially responsible: · Rail bosses are in the firing line again following last week's accident.· Trimble may find himself on the firing line for not responding to the escalating violence.
to accept that people will blame you for something, either because it is your fault or because they think it is your fault: · The coach took the blame for his team's loss.take the blame for: · My wife didn't want me to take the blame for something we were both involved in.· I took the blame for Butch because I was afraid of him.
informal to be blamed and punished for a crime or a mistake, even if you did not do it: · I'm not going to take the rap for management's mistakes.take the rap for: · The police will make sure someone takes the rap for this, and they don't care who it is.
British informal to be the only person blamed and punished for something that is someone else's fault as well as your own: · Alan's senior colleagues decided to let him carry the can.carry the can for: · As chairman I was left to carry the can for a decision that made no sense and was not of my doing.
American to be blamed and punished for a mistake or a crime, even if you did not do it: · He won't go to jail, he'll get one of his associates to take the fall.take the fall for: · If you think I'm going to take the fall for the scandal just to protect the Senator, you're crazy.
someone who is unfairly blamed for something someone who is unfairly blamed or punished for something, because people want to see that someone is blamed or punished for it: · The captain was just a scapegoat. The real villains were the people in charge of the shipping company.· The public is looking for a scapegoat, but no one will be accused until a full inquiry has been held.
especially American someone who is punished for someone else's crime or mistake, because people have deliberately made it look as if he or she is responsible: · Journalists asked if the Secretary of State was going be the fall guy for the President's secret arms deal.· Benson made it clear he does not intend to be the fall guy.
to blame someone else for something that is your fault: shift the blame onto · You can't always shift the blame onto your secretary.shift the blame for · Lawyers for the doctor have tried to shift the blame for the child's death onto the parents.
informal to try to blame someone else for a problem at work that you are responsible for: · You were in charge of that project, so don't try to pass the buck.pass the buck to: · It was his mistake but he tried to pass the buck to another manager.
to prove that someone should not be blamed to officially show that someone who has been blamed for something is not in fact responsible for it. Exonerate is more formal than clear .: · Simmons was tried and cleared of all charges.· False accusations were made, but he was eventually exonerated.
when people blame each other a situation in which people are blaming each other: · Family life had become unbearable for her - the arguments, the recriminations, the accusations - so she left.· Smith's widow and son have traded recriminations since his death in August.
when something bad is someone's fault if something is someone's fault , they are responsible for it, especially because they made a mistake: · He played very well, and it is not his fault we lost.be somebody's own fault (=when someone is responsible for something bad that happens to them): · Marie failed the exam, but it was her own fault - she didn't do any work.be sb's fault (that): · I'm so sorry. It's my fault that we're so late.be sb's fault for doing something: · Of course she was angry - but it's your fault for telling her about the whole thing in the first place.the fault of somebody: · Suggesting that our problems are the fault of someone else won't solve anything.
if someone or something is to blame for a bad situation, they caused it: · When kids do badly at school, it's not always the teachers who are to blame.be to blame for: · Some people think television is to blame for a lot of the problems in modern society.· She was as much to blame for the breakup of their marriage as he was.
if someone is responsible for an accident, crime etc, they caused it and they should be punished for it: · The police are trying to find out who was responsible.be responsible for: · There is a reward for information leading to the arrest of the people responsible for the explosion.feel responsible (=think that something is your fault): · I knew the accident wasn't really my fault, but I can't help feeling a little responsible.
if someone, especially a group of people or an organization, is at fault , they are responsible for something bad that has happened because they did not behave correctly or did not take enough care: · The accident report found both drivers to be at fault.be at fault for doing something: · With regard to the chaos after the earthquake, many people believe the government is at fault for not responding quickly enough.
if you only have yourself to blame for something bad that has happened, it is your own fault that it happened and you should not feel sorry for yourself: · His wife's left him but he only has himself to blame.only have yourself to blame for doing something: · I've only got myself to blame for losing the race.
to think that it is your fault that something bad has happened, so that you feel very upset or ashamed: · You mustn't blame yourself -- it wasn't your fault.· Children sometimes feel responsible for their parents divorcing and blame themselves.blame yourself for: · He never stopped blaming himself for his wife's death.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRYverbs It’s not easy to apportion blame (=say who deserves to be blamed) when a marriage breaks up. Part of the blame must lie with social services. Don’t try to pin the blame on me! I don’t want to point a finger of blame at anyone. He’s the kind of man who makes things happen but lets others take the credit.
(=be blamed)· Sam knew that if something went wrong, he’d get the blame.
(=say that something is your fault)· No one was prepared to take the blame for the disaster.· Parents must shoulder the blame if their kids behave badly.
(also lay/place the blame on somebody written) (=blame someone, especially when it is not their fault)· Don’t try to put the blame on me.· Everyone laid the blame for the crisis on the government.
(=blame someone else for something you did)· She always tried to shift the blame onto her brother.
formal (=find someone to blame for something)· He seemed to want to apportion blame for her death.
· He admitted he shared the blame for their World Cup defeat.
(=used to say that someone is responsible for something bad)· In this case, the blame lay with the police.
phrases (=blame someone in a very definite way)· A military investigation placed the blame squarely on city officials.
(=say that someone is responsible for something bad)· I couldn’t believe it when they started pointing the finger of blame at me.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES It’s not easy to apportion blame (=say who deserves to be blamed) when a marriage breaks up. Part of the blame must lie with social services. Don’t try to pin the blame on me! I don’t want to point a finger of blame at anyone.· Parents are being made to shoulder the blame.
He’s the kind of man who makes things happen but lets others take the credit. (=to say that someone is responsible for their own bad situation)· It is blaming the victim to ask the woman what she does that makes her husband lose his temper and hit her.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
responsibility for a mistake or for something badblame for- All you can do in such cases is accept responsibility for the emotions you feel when you are around such people.
- Governors need to inform themselves thoroughly about the current state of the school building before they accept responsibility for it.
- If people are to accept responsibility for outcomes, they will insist upon being substantively included in the decision process.
- May we learn to accept responsibility for our own actions and inactions and for our mistakes as well as for our success.
- One central committee member, Ognjen Krstulovic, resigned because he could not accept responsibility for the implementation of the policy.
- People in a position of influence could accept responsibility for implementing the results.
- These must be obtained personally and we can not accept responsibility for them.
- You have to accept responsibility for the fruits of your actions, in the scientific field as elsewhere.
- Thompson came in for sharp criticism from women's groups.
- Mr Gonzalez has also come in for criticism from within his own party.
- NTOs have come in for criticism for failing to make significant strides in plugging the skills gap.
- The Belfry came in for criticism with some newspapers saying it was no place to stage a match of this importance.
- The Court of Appeal has struggled to reconcile the two decisions but has come in for criticism.
- The patient's colour, face and body features as well as pulse and tongue will also come in for scrutiny.
- He says it doesn't make sense to point the finger of blame, it's the law that is at fault.
- Criticising Alan for saying how well scum are playing is a bit like shooting the messenger who brings bad news.
- A third means of avoiding responsibility consists of shifting the blame to even higher officials.
- He had to shift the blame, find a sacrificial victim.
- Her comments on Radio Derby came as Tories tried to shift the blame for Britain's economic ills elsewhere.
- In other words that they were shifting the blame.
- It shifts the blame to belief.
- Leaving the abusive marriage, or divorcing him, will be branded desertion or a sin, shifting the blame to her.
- Penney also shifted the responsibilities and titles of several other executives in different regions.
- Time after time, ministers have tried to shift the blame for rising unemployment to the down-turn in the world economy.
Do you accept any blame for what happened? I always get the blame (=am blamed) for his mistakes! She stole the money but she’s trying to put the blame on (=blame) me.COLLOCATIONSverbsget the blame (=be blamed)· Sam knew that if something went wrong, he’d get the blame.take/accept/shoulder the blame (=say that something is your fault)· No one was prepared to take the blame for the disaster.· Parents must shoulder the blame if their kids behave badly.put/pin the blame on somebody (also lay/place the blame on somebody written) (=blame someone, especially when it is not their fault)· Don’t try to put the blame on me.· Everyone laid the blame for the crisis on the government.shift the blame (onto somebody) (=blame someone else for something you did)· She always tried to shift the blame onto her brother.apportion/assign blame formal (=find someone to blame for something)· He seemed to want to apportion blame for her death.share the blame· He admitted he shared the blame for their World Cup defeat.the blame lies with somebody (=used to say that someone is responsible for something bad)· In this case, the blame lay with the police.phrasesplace the blame squarely/firmly on somebody (=blame someone in a very definite way)· A military investigation placed the blame squarely on city officials.point the finger of blame at somebody (=say that someone is responsible for something bad)· I couldn’t believe it when they started pointing the finger of blame at me.