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Blame vs Shame - What's the difference?

blame | shame |

In obsolete terms the difference between blame and shame

is that blame is to bring into disrepute while shame is to mock at; to deride.

As nouns the difference between blame and shame

is that blame is censure while shame is uncomfortable or painful feeling due to recognition or consciousness of impropriety, dishonor, or other wrong in the opinion of the person experiencing the feeling. It is caused by awareness of exposure of circumstances of unworthiness or of improper or indecent conduct.

As verbs the difference between blame and shame

is that blame is to censure (someone or something); to criticize while shame is to feel shame, be ashamed.

As an interjection shame is

a cry of admonition for the subject of a speech, often used reduplicated, especially in political debates.

blame

English

Etymology 1

(etyl), from (etyl)

Noun

(-)
  • Censure.
  • Blame came from all directions.
  • Culpability for something negative or undesirable.
  • The blame for starting the fire lies with the arsonist.
  • Responsibility for something meriting censure.
  • They accepted the blame , but it was an accident.
    Derived terms
    * put the blame on
    See also
    * fault

    Etymology 2

    (etyl), from (etyl) blasmer, from . Compare (blaspheme)

    Verb

    (blam)
  • To censure (someone or something); to criticize.
  • * 1590 , Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene , III.ii:
  • though my loue be not so lewdly bent, / As those ye blame , yet may it nought appease / My raging smart [...].
  • *
  • These peculiarities of Dorothea's character caused Mr. Brooke to be all the more blamed in neighboring families for not securing some middle-aged lady as guide and companion to his nieces.
  • * 1919 , (Saki), ‘The Oversight’, The Toys of Peace :
  • That was the year that Sir Richard was writing his volume on Domestic Life in Tartary . The critics all blamed it for a lack of concentration.
  • * 2006 , Clive James, North Face of Soho , Picador 2007, p. 106:
  • I covered the serious programmes too, and indeed, right from the start, I spent more time praising than blaming .
  • (obsolete) To bring into disrepute.
  • * 1590 , Edmund Spenser, The Faerie Queene , II.viii:
  • For knighthoods loue, do not so foule a deed, / Ne blame your honour with so shamefull vaunt / Of vile reuenge.
  • To assert or consider that someone is the cause of something negative; to place blame, to attribute responsibility (for something negative or for doing something negative).
  • The arsonist was blamed for the fire.
    Synonyms
    * reproach, take to task, upbraid * (consider that someone is the cause of something negative) hold to account
    Derived terms
    * blamer

    shame

    English

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl), from (etyl) , which may also be the source of heaven; see that entry for details. Compare also Persian .

    Noun

    (-)
  • Uncomfortable]] or painful feeling due to recognition or consciousness of impropriety, dishonor or other wrong in the opinion of the person experiencing the feeling. It is caused by awareness of exposure of circumstances of [[unworthy, unworthiness or of improper or indecent conduct.
  • * (William Shakespeare)
  • Have you no modesty, no maiden shame ?
  • *
  • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=5 , passage=When this conversation was repeated in detail within the hearing of the young woman in question, and undoubtedly for his benefit, Mr. Trevor threw shame to the winds and scandalized the Misses Brewster then and there by proclaiming his father to have been a country storekeeper.}}
  • Something to regret.
  • * (William Shakespeare)
  • guides who are the shame of religion
  • * Evelyn "Champagne" King, in the song Shame
  • And what you do to me is a shame .
  • Reproach incurred or suffered; dishonour; ignominy; derision.
  • * Bible, (Ezekiel) xxxvi. 6
  • Ye have borne the shame of the heathen.
  • * (Alexander Pope)
  • Honour and shame from no condition rise.
  • * (Lord Byron)
  • And every woe a tear can claim / Except an erring sister's shame .
  • The cause or reason of shame; that which brings reproach and ignominy.
  • * Shakespeare
  • guides who are the shame of religion
  • (archaic) That which is shameful and private, especially body parts.
  • Cover your shame !
    Usage notes
    * While shame is not generally counted, it is countable, for example *: I felt two shames: one for hurting my friend, and a greater one for lying about it.
    Synonyms
    * (something regrettable) pity
    Derived terms
    * body shame * crying shame * shame on you * shamefaced * shameful * shamefully * shameless * shamelessly

    Interjection

    (en interjection)
  • A cry of admonition for the subject of a speech, often used reduplicated, especially in political debates.
  • * 1982 , " Telecommunications Bill", Hansard
  • Mr John Golding: One would not realise that it came from the same Government, because in that letter the Under-Secretary states: "The future of BT's pension scheme is a commercial matter between BT, its workforce, and the trustees of the pensions scheme, and the Government cannot give any guarantees about future pension arrangements."
    Mr. Charles R. Morris': ' Shame .
  • * 1831 , The Bristol Job Nott; or, Labouring Man's Friend
  • [...] the Duke of Dorset charged in the list with "not known, but supposed forty thousand per year''" (charitable supposition) had when formerly in office only about 3 or £4,000, and ''has not now, nor when the black list was printed, any office whatever -- (Much tumult, and cries of "shame " and "doust the liars")
  • (South Africa) Expressing sympathy.
  • Shame , you poor thing, you must be cold!
    Derived terms
    *

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) scamian.

    Verb

    (sham)
  • To feel shame, be ashamed.
  • *:
  • *:Broder she said I can not telle yow For it was not done by me nor by myn assente / For he is my lord and I am his / and he must be myn husband / therfore my broder I wille that ye wete I shame me not to be with hym / nor to doo hym alle the pleasyr that I can
  • *(William Shakespeare) (c.1564–1616)
  • *:I do shame / To think of what a noble strain you are.
  • (label) To cause to feel shame.
  • :I was shamed by the teacher's public disapproval.
  • *(Robert South) (1634–1716)
  • *:Were there but one righteous in the world, he wouldshame the world, and not the world him.
  • To cover with reproach or ignominy; to dishonour; to disgrace.
  • *(Edmund Spenser) (c.1552–1599)
  • *:And with foul cowardice his carcass shame .
  • (label) To mock at; to deride.
  • *
  • *:Ye have shamed the counsel of the poor, because the LORD is his refuge.
  • Derived terms
    * ashamed

    References

    *

    Anagrams

    *