French word

blâmer

Pronunciation

IPA/blame/

Meaning

  • verbblame

Example

Ne me blâme pas, je suis désolé.

Please don't blame me; I'm sorry.

Illustration for blâmer (blame)

More examples

Il ne faut pas blâmer quelqu'un sans connaître toute l'histoire.

One must not blame someone without knowing the whole story.

Core concept

A finger points at a person's mistake while assigning that person responsibility for it.

Common phrases

  • blâmer quelqu'un

    blame someone

  • se blâmer

    blame oneself

  • blâmer publiquement

    publicly blame

Similar words

reprocher: Draw attention to someone's conduct or attitude to caution them.
critiquer: Identify and criticize weaknesses in an action or way of thinking.
accuser: Assert that someone bears the blame for a crime or wrongdoing.
gronder: Tell someone off angrily, particularly a child, to correct them.

Definition in French

Attribuer à quelqu'un la responsabilité d'une faute et lui adresser un reproche.

Word origin

French blâmer comes through Old French blasmer from Latin blasphemare, ultimately from Greek blasphemeîn.

Usage tips

  • Blâmer often sounds stronger and more formal than reprocher or critiquer in everyday interaction.

Opposites

Related words

  • blâmeblamenoun
  • blâmableblameworthyadjective

Word lists with this word