Excuse
/ɪkˈskjuːz/
Definitions
4 meaningsTo forgive someone or something, to overlook an offense.
/ɪkˈskjuːz/
To forgive or pardon someone for a fault or offense.
Please excuse my tardiness.
💡 Simply: Imagine your friend accidentally spills juice on your new shirt. When you say 'I excuse it,' it means you're not mad and you're letting them off the hook! You're saying it's okay.
👶 For kids: To say it's okay when someone does something wrong.
More Examples
The teacher excused the student's late assignment.
I excuse you for your misunderstanding.
How It's Used
"He excused her rudeness by saying she was tired."
"The court excused the witness from further testimony."
To give a reason for doing something (often something wrong or unusual).
/ɪkˈskjuːz/
To provide a reason or justification for (an action).
He excused his poor performance by saying he was ill.
💡 Simply: Imagine you're late to school. You tell your teacher why you're late. That's you giving an excuse. It's like explaining why something happened.
👶 For kids: To tell why you did something.
More Examples
She excused her silence by claiming she was shy.
The company excused the delay in delivery by citing unforeseen circumstances.
How It's Used
"He excused his behavior by claiming he was stressed."
"She excused her absence with a doctor's note."
A reason, typically one that is not the true reason, that you give to explain your behaviour.
/ɪkˈskjuːs/
A reason or explanation offered to justify a fault or offense.
He gave an excuse for being late to the meeting.
💡 Simply: If you're late and tell your mom the dog ate your homework (even though that didn't happen), that's an excuse. It's a reason you give for why something is wrong.
👶 For kids: A reason why you did something that wasn't good.
More Examples
Her excuse for missing the deadline was unconvincing.
The teacher didn't accept his excuse for not doing his homework.
How It's Used
"He had a weak excuse for his lateness."
"The judge accepted the defendant's excuse."
A polite expression used to apologize or to get someone's attention.
/ɪkˈskjuːs/
A polite expression of apology.
Excuse me, could you tell me the time?
💡 Simply: When you need to get someone's attention or you bump into someone, you say 'excuse me!' It’s a polite way to say sorry or ask for something.
👶 For kids: A nice way to say sorry or get someone's attention.
More Examples
Excuse me, I didn't mean to interrupt.
Excuse me, I think that's my seat.
How It's Used
"Excuse me, I need to get past."
"Excuse me, could you repeat that?"
Synonyms
Idioms & expressions
Excuse me!
A polite phrase used to get someone's attention, to apologize, or to leave.
"Excuse me, can you help me with this?"
to make excuses
To give reasons to justify one's actions or failures, often insincerely.
"He's always making excuses for his bad behavior."
From Middle English *excuse*, from Old French *escuse* (noun) and *escuser* (verb), both from Latin *excūsāre* (“to excuse, to free from blame”), from *ex-* (“out”) + *causa* (“cause, reason”).
The word 'excuse' has been used since the 14th century, evolving from its Latin roots through Old French. It initially pertained to freeing from blame and later expanded to cover justifications and polite expressions of apology.
Memory tip
Think of it as 'ex-use,' removing the use of blame.