# blame

/ˈbɫeɪm/ (US) · /blˈeɪm/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/blame
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. to attribute responsibility

verb · CEFR B1

to say or think that someone or something is the cause of a bad result.

For teachers: to attribute responsibility for a fault or error to a specific person or cause. Transitive; typically takes a direct object followed by 'for'.

- Don't blame me for the mess; I wasn't even in the kitchen.
- Economists often blame the sudden market downturn on a combination of high interest rates and low consumer confidence.

### 2. responsibility for a fault

noun · CEFR B1

the responsibility for a mistake or something bad that has happened.

For teachers: the state of being responsible for a negative outcome or a moral failure. Uncountable in most contexts.

- The driver accepted the blame for the accident because he was speeding.
- The CEO refused to take the blame for the company's losses, instead pointing to global supply chain disruptions.

### 3. source control history

noun · CEFR C1 · Technical

a tool in computer programming that shows which person wrote a specific line of code.

For teachers: a feature in version control systems that annotates each line of a file with the name of the last person to modify it.

- I used the blame tool to see who changed the login settings last week.
- Running a git blame on the configuration file revealed that the bug was introduced during the last security patch.

Usage: Often used as a command name in software like Git.

## Examples

- He tried to shift the blame to his coworkers.
- The manager took the blame for the project's failure even though the whole team made mistakes.
- While the public was quick to assign blame to the CEO, the subsequent investigation revealed a systemic failure across multiple departments that no single person could have prevented.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.