victim-blame

verb

To subject to victim-blaming; to blame and hold responsible (the victim of an attack, disease, etc for the attack which they have suffered).

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Meanings

verbvictim-blame (third-person singular simple present victim-blames, present participle victim-blaming, simple past and past participle victim-blamed)

present singular third person victim-blames · participle present victim-blaming · participle past victim-blamed · past victim-blamed

  1. transitiveTo subject to victim-blaming; to blame and hold responsible (the victim of an attack, disease, etc for the attack which they have suffered).

    […] of women who have been utterly socially marginalized (and victim-blamed for their own drug problems) by mainstream US society.

    2007, Marcia C. Inhorn, Reproductive Disruptions, →ISBN, page 24
    1 more example

    Original groups who suffer from the infection, particularly if the epidemic is a sexually transmitted disease, can be stigmatized and victim-blamed.

    1994, Explorations in Ethnic Studies: The Journal of the National Association of Interdisciplinary Ethnic Studies, volumes 17-18, page 157

Origin

Back-formation from victim-blaming, equivalent to victim + blame.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

victim-blame. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/victim-blame

MLA

“victim-blame.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/victim-blame. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “victim-blame,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/victim-blame.

Source: victim-blame on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.