BLAMABLE Synonyms: 35 Similar and Opposite Words

Q: How is the word 'blamable' different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of blamable are blameworthy , culpable , and guilty . While all these words mean "deserving reproach or punishment," blameworthy and blamable apply to any degree of reprehensibility. // conduct adjudged blameworthy // an accident for which no one is blamable

Q: When could 'culpable' be used to replace 'blamable'?

While the synonyms culpable and blamable are close in meaning, culpable is weaker than guilty and is likely to connote malfeasance or errors of ignorance, omission, or negligence. // culpable neglect

Q: When would 'guilty' be a good substitute for 'blamable'?

The words guilty and blamable are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, guilty implies responsibility for or consciousness of crime, sin, or, at the least, grave error or misdoing. // guilty of a breach of etiquette

blamable

adjective

ˈblā-mə-bəl

Definition of blamable

as in guilty

deserving reproach or blame an honest mistake is hardly a blamable offense

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How is the word blamable different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of blamable are blameworthy, culpable, and guilty. While all these words mean "deserving reproach or punishment," blameworthy and blamable apply to any degree of reprehensibility.

conduct adjudged blameworthy

an accident for which no one is blamable

When could culpable be used to replace blamable?

While the synonyms culpable and blamable are close in meaning, culpable is weaker than guilty and is likely to connote malfeasance or errors of ignorance, omission, or negligence.

culpable neglect

When would guilty be a good substitute for blamable?

The words guilty and blamable are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, guilty implies responsibility for or consciousness of crime, sin, or, at the least, grave error or misdoing.

guilty of a breach of etiquette

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for blamable

Adjective

Mike Smith, the first person to face federal charges tied to music streaming fraud, was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty earlier this year.

— Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 6 Oct. 2026
He was found guilty in a subsequent civil trial, yet still awarded custody of the divorced couple’s two children.

— Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026

Definition of guilty

Adjective

Extreme cold made the O-rings fail, but NASA’s culture was just as blameworthy and needed a retrofit more urgently than any piece of shuttle hardware.

— Meghan Bartels, Scientific American, 28 Jan. 2026
As the shutdown goes on, moreover, the polling on which side is more to blame seems to be gradually shifting toward Democrats as the more blameworthy side.

— Josh Hammer, MSNBC Newsweek, 17 Oct. 2025

Definition of blameworthy

Adjective

At Wednesday’s hearing, Paul described Niembro as the most culpable of the four defendants and Ramirez as second, while acknowledging that Ramirez’s cooperation justified a significantly shorter sentence.

— Antonio María Delgado, Miami Herald, 7 Oct. 2026
Police opened a culpable homicide case, and the cause of the collision remained under investigation, Spies said.

— ABC News, ABC News, 14 Sep. 2026

Definition of culpable

Adjective

Leaking a county-level grand jury report could constitute a first-degree misdemeanor in Florida, which is punishable by up to a year in jail and a $5,000 fine.

— Liv Caputo, Miami Herald, 8 Oct. 2026
The officer who fired it was taken into custody a week later and charged with violent mutilation, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

— ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026

Definition of punishable

Adjective

So while Murrill’s desire to deprive exonerees of money is terrible, Alexander said, her efforts to prevent them from having their names officially cleared are truly reprehensible.

— Richard A. Webster, ProPublica, 6 Aug. 2026
In the last two weeks, two Illinois House Democrats have been exposed for allegedly misusing their offices, engaging in reprehensible conduct and abusing the public trust placed in them as state representatives.

— Amy Elik, Chicago Tribune, 26 July 2026

Definition of reprehensible

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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blahs

blamable

blame

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“Blamable.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/blamable. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of blamable

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