Refers to the act of blaming or finding fault with someone, often in a moral or disciplinary context. Commonly used in phrases like 咎めを受ける or 咎めを負う.
He received a reprimand from his boss.
He took the blame for his own mistake.
I received a stern rebuke from my boss.
I am the one who bears the blame for the failure.
He made a good excuse and escaped censure.
称賛 means praise or commendation, the opposite of the fault-finding implied by 咎め.
Standard kanji spelling for this noun.
Kana spelling is common in everyday writing, especially when the kanji 咎 is less familiar.
Derived from the verb 咎める (とがめる, 'to blame, to find fault'). The noun form 咎め nominalizes the action of blaming or censuring.