Blame meanings in Japanese

非難 (ひなん)

Example:

She blamed him for the accident.

彼女はその事故について彼を非難した。

Don't blame others for your mistakes.

自分の過ちについて他人を非難しないでください。

Usage: formal/informalContext: Used when attributing responsibility for a negative outcome or situation.

Note: This meaning can be used in both casual and formal contexts, but the tone may vary based on the situation.

責任 (せきにん)

Example:

He took the blame for the team's failure.

彼はチームの失敗について責任を取った。

You must accept blame for your actions.

自分の行動に対して責任を受け入れなければならない。

Usage: formalContext: Used in legal, professional, or serious discussions about accountability.

Note: This usage emphasizes a moral or legal responsibility.

責める (せめる)

Example:

It's easy to blame someone else.

他の誰かを責めるのは簡単だ。

She always blames me when things go wrong.

物事がうまくいかないとき、彼女はいつも私を責める。

Usage: informalContext: Commonly used in everyday conversation, often in a more emotional or accusatory sense.

Note: This verb form can express a stronger emotional charge compared to the noun forms.

咎める (とがめる)

Example:

He didn't intend to blame anyone, but his words came out wrong.

彼は誰かを咎めるつもりはなかったが、言葉が間違って出てしまった。

Don't blame yourself for what happened.

起こったことについて自分を咎めないでください。

Usage: formal/informalContext: Used to indicate reproach or criticism, often in a more gentle or indirect way.

Note: Can be used in both formal and informal situations, often conveying empathy.

accuse

To accuse someone is to assert that they have done something wrong or committed a crime.

Example: She accused him of stealing her wallet.

Note: Accuse is more specific and implies a direct allegation of wrongdoing.

fault

To fault someone is to criticize or find fault with their actions or behavior.

Example: The team's failure cannot be solely attributed to one player; there were faults on multiple levels.

Note: Fault can imply a more general criticism rather than a direct accusation.

condemn

To condemn someone is to express strong disapproval or censure for their behavior or actions.

Example: The court condemned the defendant for his actions.

Note: Condemn often carries a sense of moral judgment or societal disapproval.

accredit

To accredit someone is to attribute a particular achievement or quality to them.

Example: The success of the project was accredited to the hard work of the team.

Note: Accredit focuses more on acknowledging someone's contribution or role rather than assigning blame.

Point the finger at

To accuse or blame someone for something.

Example: Instead of taking responsibility for the mistake, he pointed the finger at his colleague.

Note: This phrase implies shifting blame onto someone else explicitly.

Pass the buck

To shift the responsibility or blame to someone else.

Example: She always tries to pass the buck when things go wrong at work.

Note: This phrase emphasizes avoiding responsibility or accountability.

Hold accountable

To make someone responsible for something, especially when something goes wrong.

Example: The manager held the team accountable for the project's failure.

Note: This phrase focuses on assigning responsibility to ensure consequences or action are taken.

Pin the blame on

To attribute fault or responsibility to someone else.

Example: The politician tried to pin the blame on his opponents for the scandal.

Note: This phrase suggests unfairly assigning blame onto someone.

Bear the brunt of

To suffer the worst part of something unpleasant or harmful.

Example: The employees bore the brunt of the CEO's decision to downsize.

Note: This phrase indicates experiencing the negative consequences without necessarily blaming someone directly.

Lay the blame on

To assign responsibility or fault to someone or something.

Example: He tried to lay the blame on the faulty equipment for the accident.

Note: This phrase is more direct in attributing fault to a specific person or thing.

Take the fall for

To accept blame or punishment for someone else's actions.

Example: She decided to take the fall for her friend's mistake to protect their friendship.

Note: This phrase involves willingly accepting blame or consequences on behalf of someone else.

Blame game

The blame game refers to the act of assigning blame or fault to others rather than taking responsibility oneself.

Example: Stop playing the blame game and take responsibility for your actions.

Note: The term 'blame game' emphasizes the interaction between individuals or parties in assigning blame.

Finger-pointing

Finger-pointing is when people try to attribute blame to others for a mistake or failure.

Example: There was a lot of finger-pointing after the project failed.

Note: This slang highlights the visual cue of pointing a finger when assigning blame.

Scapegoat

A scapegoat is a person who is unfairly blamed or made to take the blame for others.

Example: She felt like a scapegoat when the team failed to meet their target.

Note: Scapegoat specifically refers to someone who is blamed unjustly or as a convenient target for the faults of others.

Throw under the bus

To throw someone under the bus is to betray or blame them for something to protect oneself.

Example: He always tries to throw his colleagues under the bus when things go wrong.

Note: This term implies betrayal and sacrificing someone to save oneself from blame.

Fault-finder

A fault-finder is someone who habitually seeks out and criticizes the faults or mistakes of others.

Example: She's always been a fault-finder, quick to blame others for any issues.

Note: While blame is the act of assigning responsibility for wrongdoing, a fault-finder actively seeks out faults in others.

Come down on

To come down on someone is to criticize or blame them harshly.

Example: The boss came down hard on the team for the project's failure.

Note: This slang term conveys a strong sense of authority or punishment associated with assigning blame.

Throw shade

Throwing shade is making subtle or indirect insults or criticisms towards someone.

Example: She's always throwing shade at her coworkers whenever a mistake happens.

Note: While not directly about blame, 'throwing shade' involves subtle criticism that can indirectly assign fault or fault-finding behavior.

She always blames others for her mistakes.

Don't blame me for your own incompetence.

The media often condemns politicians for their actions.

Blame - Verb (Verb) / Verb, base form (Verb, base form)

Lemma: blame

Conjugations

Noun, plural (Noun, plural): blame

Noun, singular or mass (Noun, singular or mass): blame

Verb, past tense (Verb, past tense): blamed

Verb, gerund or present participle (Verb, gerund or present participle): blaming

Verb, 3rd person singular present (Verb, 3rd person singular present): blames

Verb, base form (Verb, base form): blame

Verb, non-3rd person singular present (Verb, non-3rd person singular present): blame

Syllables, Separation and Stress

blame Contains 1 syllables: blame

Phonetic transcription: ˈblām

blame , ˈblām (The red syllable is stressed)

The word frequency and importance index indicates how often a word appears in a given language. The smaller the number, the more frequently the word is used. The most frequently used words typically range from about 1 to 4000.

blame: ~ 2100 (Very common).

This importance index helps you focus on the most useful words during your language learning process.

Blame