to excuse

Examples

• All

• I can't excuse him just because he's your brother.

  Anna Karenina (2012)

• So would you excuse us while Brothers Sidney and Earl take up the collection?

  Fiction book (1992)

• If I was to say, dear darling, please excuse my writing.

• OK, please excuse this scene right now.

  Hot Mess with Alix Earle

• Excuse me, pardon me, it's my brother's show, excuse me.

  The Kill Room (2023)

• But that doesn't mean that we should excuse what he did.

  Rampage (1987)

• My dear boy, you don't have to excuse yourself to me.

  Sleuth (1972)

• Now if you'll excuse me, I have a family matter to attend to.

  Rush (2013)

• No longer are parents and students willing to excuse such harassing behavior.

  Academic text (1993)

• Please excuse my absence from the meeting due to a family emergency.

Synonyms

F

to forgive

vsto excuse

∞ 1.4

To stop feeling angry at someone or yourself for a mistake

overlooks or makes allowances rather than focusing on emotional change

P

to pardon

vsto excuse

211 3.0

To forgive someone for a small mistake or rude act

makes allowances or overlooks faults rather than directly accepting reasons

C

to condone

vsto excuse

79 6.8

Allow wrong or offensive behaviour to continue without stopping it

makes allowances or overlooks faults but does not mean allowing behavior to continue

Antonyms

B

to blame

∞ 1.6

To say that someone or something caused something bad

P

to punish

821 1.0

Make someone suffer for doing something wrong

Idioms

A

a thousand one excuse

• Informal

7.5

Many different reasons a person gives to avoid blame

E

excuse you

• Informal

8.8

A sharp way to tell someone you are annoyed by their rude action

Phrasal Verbs

C

to concoct an excuse

6.5

To make up a false reason to avoid blame

Compounds

G

goddamn excuse

• Offensive

1 9.9

A rude way to say someone's reason is weak and not acceptable

B

bullsheet excuse

• Offensive

9.9

A false or silly story people tell to avoid blame

A

abuse excuse

• NSFW

8.4

An attempt to explain bad behavior by saying you were hurt in the past

F

fuckwaffle excuse

• Offensive

9.9

A silly made-up reason someone gives to avoid blame

F

fucktillion excuse

• Offensive

9.9

A very large number of weak reasons someone gives to avoid doing something

G

go-to excuse

• Informal

4.7

A usual reason someone gives to avoid blame

H

half-baked excuse

• Informal

5.1

A weak reason someone gives to avoid blame

H

hogshit excuse

• Offensive

9.9

A false story someone gives to avoid blame

T

threadbare excuse

7.0

A weak reason used so often people no longer believe it

S

shoddy excuse

4.8

A weak, unconvincing reason someone gives for not doing something

W

weasellike excuse

• Informal

9.0

A dishonest reason someone gives to avoid blame

W

wimpy excuse

• Informal

7.1

A weak reason someone gives to avoid blame

How Forgiving

to absolve

• Formal

50 7.2

to forgive

∞ 1.4

to excuse

384 2.2

to condone

79 6.8

to overlook

243 2.9

Surface Forms

Etymology