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blameful

blameful

1 7.9
Deserving criticism because someone did something wrong
  • adjective
  • /ˈbleɪmfəl/
translation icon : culpable
  • She felt blameful after realizing her negligence had caused the accident.

Examples

  • Whereat, with blade, with bloody blameful blade, he bravely broach'd is boiling bloody breast...

  • Then he checked his mind—no dreams he recalled, no blameful faces.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • The teacher held a meeting because his students' blameful actions disrupted the class.

  • The review was filled with blameful criticism that pointed out the company's failures.

Synonyms

guilty
vsblameful
2.3

Responsible for doing something wrong and open to blame or punishment

is general blame without requiring proven responsibility or punishment
criminal
vsblameful
90 3.7

Very wrong and deserving strong blame

is blame for wrongdoing without implying extreme moral badness
at fault
vsblameful
62 3.4

Responsible for causing a problem or mistake and deserving blame

is general deserving disapproval not limited to specific faults
reprehensible
vsblameful
  • Formal
50 7.9

Morally wrong and deserving strong criticism

is disapproval for wrongdoing but often less intense
culpable
vsblameful
26 7.5

Deserving blame for doing something wrong

is general blame without necessarily implying responsibility
unworthy
vsblameful
  • Offensive
20 5.4

Deserves strong blame or dislike

is blame for wrong actions without necessarily arousing contempt
blameworthy
vsblameful
1 6.5

Deserving blame for doing something wrong or harmful

is identical in meaning and does not differ in use
condemnable
vsblameful
1 7.5

Deserving strong criticism for being wrong

is blame that can be strong but not always severe
discreditable
vsblameful
1 7.6

Likely to harm someone's reputation by showing shameful behaviour

is blame for wrongdoing beyond mere reputation damage
blamable
vsblameful
6.3

Deserving criticism for doing something wrong or causing harm

is the same in sense without a different emphasis
blameable
vsblameful
6.4

People think it caused harm or did something wrong

expresses the same idea with no distinct nuance
reproachable
vsblameful
7.5

Deserving blame for doing something wrong

is general blame for wrongdoing rather than only criticism
censurable
vsblameful
  • Formal
8.9

Deserving blame or formal criticism

is blame expressed generally, not necessarily formally

Antonyms

2.2

Not guilty of a crime or wrongdoing

How Blameworthy

reprehensible
  • Formal
50 7.9
culpable
26 7.5
blameful
1 7.9
excusable
6 3.6
blameless
18 3.6

Surface Forms

blameful positive
blamefuller comparative
blamefullest superlative

Morphology

blameful = blame (transparent) = blame + ful

The adjective is a regular formation from the noun 'blame' with '-ful' meaning 'full of' or 'deserving', so learners knowing 'blame' can infer the adjective.

Etymology

The word blameful comes from the simple parts blame ('to find fault') and -ful ('full of'). So something blameful is 'full of blame', meaning it deserves blame or disapproval.