責せめる

ichidan verb, transitive verb

blame; reproach; criticize; accuse

The main modern use: to hold someone responsible for a fault, mistake, or wrongdoing. Often appears as 人を責める, 失敗を責める, or 責めないで.

• 彼かれを失しっ敗ぱいのことで責せめないでください。

  Please don't blame him for the failure.

• 記き者しゃたちは大だい臣じんの発はつ言げんを厳きびしく責せめた。

  The reporters harshly criticized the minister's remark.

ichidan verb, transitive verb

press; urge; pester

Used when repeatedly or strongly pressing someone to do something, often with a demanding or pestering feel. In many everyday contexts 催促する or 迫る may sound more neutral.

• 毎まい日にちのように借しゃっ金きんの返へん済さいを責せめられた。

  I was pressed almost every day to repay the debt.

• 子こどもに新あたらしいゲームを買かってくれと責せめられた。

  My child kept pestering me to buy a new game.

ichidan verb, transitive verb

torment; pain mentally

A tormenting or distressing use, especially natural in passive expressions such as 良心に責められる, meaning to be troubled or tormented by one's conscience.

• 良りょう心しんに責せめられて、彼かれは眠ねむれなかった。

  Tormented by his conscience, he could not sleep.

ichidan verb, transitive verb

torture; persecute

A harsher, less everyday use meaning to torture or persecute someone. Modern Japanese often uses more explicit words such as 拷問する for physical torture.

• 古ふるい物もの語がたりでは、囚しゅう人じんを責せめて秘ひ密みつを聞きき出だす場ば面めんがある。

  In old stories, there are scenes where prisoners are tortured to extract secrets.

ichidan verb, transitive verb

break in a horse

Specialized equestrian use for training or breaking in a horse; rare outside that context and easily misunderstood as blaming or mistreating the horse.

• 馬ば術じゅつの文ぶん脈みゃくでは、「馬うまを責せめる」が馬うまを乗のりならす意い味みで使つかわれることがある。

  In equestrian contexts, 馬を責める can mean to break in a horse.