blames
blames — verb
- blamespresent simple I / you / we / they
- blameses3rd person singular
- blamesing-ing form
- blamesedpast simple
1. to say that a person or thing caused a problem and deserves criticism for it
to say that a person or thing caused a problem and deserves criticism for it
Parents blamed the wet floor for the toddler's fall.
blame + thing + for + result
Elise blamed the late email for missing the train.
Several fans blamed the coach after the heavy defeat.
The review blamed weak lighting for the museum accident.
- excuse
suggests the person is not at fault
文法句型
blame + person/thing + for + problem
用法筆記
The direct object is usually the person or thing held responsible, followed by for and the bad result.
2. to say that another person's action seems understandable, so you are not critici
to say that another person's action seems understandable, so you are not criticizing them
I don't blame Bao for leaving after the rude call.
don't blame + person + for + -ing
We can't blame the neighbors for closing their windows.
No one blames a mother for protecting her tired child.
I would not blame Mert for choosing the safer route.
- understand
states the idea directly without the sympathy frame
- sympathize
emphasizes shared feeling more than judgment
- condemn
shows strong disapproval instead of understanding
文法句型
do not blame + person + for + -ing
用法筆記
This sense is most common in negative forms such as I don't blame you, where the speaker shows sympathy rather than criticism.
3. to connect a failure or other bad result to a stated cause
to connect a failure or other bad result to a stated cause
News reports blamed the outage on a damaged cable.
blame + result + on + cause
Teachers blamed the low turnout on the storm warning.
The city blamed rising rents on new office towers.
Christopher blamed the long delay on one missing form.
- attribute
more formal and neutral in tone
- put down to
informal phrasal verb with a similar structure
文法句型
blame + bad result + on + cause
用法筆記
The direct object is usually the problem itself, followed by on and the cause. Sense 1 more often names the blamed person or thing as the object.
blames — noun
1. criticism or fault placed on someone for a mistake or other bad result
criticism or fault placed on someone for a mistake or other bad result
Parents placed the blame on social media after the rumor spread.
put/place the blame on + cause
Kemi refused to carry all the blame for the broken plan.
The article put most of the blame on poor road design.
Too much blame fell on the youngest worker that night.
- fault
often names the mistake itself as well as the responsibility
- responsibility
more neutral and less critical in tone
- criticism
focuses on the negative judgment more than the cause
文法句型
put the blame on + person/thing
用法筆記
Often appears in patterns such as put the blame on, share the blame, or shoulder the blame.
2. accepting that you were the person at fault for a bad result
accepting that you were the person at fault for a bad result
Mateo took the blame when the class projector stopped working.
take the blame
No manager wanted to take the blame for the failed launch.
After dinner burned, Owen asked his sister to share the blame.
The captain accepted the blame for the team's early exit.
- responsibility
more neutral and less tied to admitting guilt
- fault
names the error itself more directly
文法句型
take the blame for + noun
用法筆記
Most common after take, accept, or shoulder, when someone openly admits fault.