responsibility; liability; blame
Used when someone is held accountable or blamed for a failure or problem. Often appears in set phrases like 責めを負う (to take the blame).
事故の責めは運転手にある。
The responsibility for the accident lies with the driver.
Refers to physical or mental torment, often in historical or dramatic contexts. Commonly seen in compounds like 責め苦 (torture, agony).
囚人は厳しい責めを受けた。
The prisoner was subjected to severe torture.
He is in a position where he cannot escape blame for this failure.
彼は失敗の責めを負わされた。
He was made to take the blame for the failure.
その拷問は残酷な責めだった。
The interrogation was a cruel torment.
He endured every torture without ever talking.
The boss was blamed for his subordinate's mistake.
拷問 specifically means torture used to extract information or confession, while 責め is a broader, often literary term for torment or torture.
攻め (also read せめ) means an offensive attack, while 責め refers to blame or torment, so context is needed to tell them apart despite identical pronunciation.
blame; reproach; criticize; accuse · press; urge; pester · torment; pain mentally · torture; persecute · break in a horse
water torture
criticize harshly; blame; grill · urge; press
torture by fire
snake torture; binding and placing in a tub of snakes
instrument of torture; torture device
torture; pains of hell
shrimp torture; bondage torture resembling a shrimp
Derived from the verb 責める (せめる, to blame, to torture). The noun form 責め carries the nominalized meaning of the verb.
whipping with arrow shafts
verbal abuse; tormenting with words
torture; persecute; torment relentlessly
question critically; cross-examine; press hard with questions
instruments of torture; torture devices