Definition

1. Noun:

   • A reason or explanation given to justify a fault or offense: An "excuse" is a statement offered to explain or defend one's actions, especially when those actions are perceived as wrong or inappropriate.
   • A poor or inadequate example of something: An "excuse" can refer to something that is a very bad or unsatisfactory version of what it is supposed to be.
   • A note or message explaining an absence: In formal contexts like school or work, an "excuse" is a written explanation for why someone was not present.

2. Verb:

   • To forgive or overlook a fault: To "excuse" someone means to pardon them for a minor mistake or social error.
   • To serve as a justification or reason for: To "excuse" an action means to provide an acceptable reason that explains or defends it.
   • To release someone from a duty or obligation: To "excuse" someone means to formally grant them permission not to do something they were supposed to do.
   • To attempt to lessen the blame for; to defend: To "excuse" someone's behavior is to try to explain it in a way that makes it seem less bad.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:

  • He had a new excuse for being late every day.
  • This broken-down car is a poor excuse for an automobile.
  • The student brought a doctor's note as an excuse for his absence.

• Verb:

  • Please excuse my interruption.
  • His tiredness does not excuse his rude behavior.
  • The teacher excused him from the final exam.
  • She tried to excuse her friend's mistake by blaming the confusing instructions.

Advanced Usage

• "To make excuses for (someone/something)": To repeatedly provide justifications for faults or failures.

  • You're always making excuses for his laziness.

• "There is no excuse for...": Used to state that something is completely unacceptable and cannot be justified.

  • There is no excuse for such cruelty.

• "To excuse oneself": To politely ask permission to leave a place or situation; to offer an apology for one's own actions.

  • He excused himself from the meeting to take an important call.
  • She excused herself for stepping on his foot.

Variants and Related Words

• Excusable (adj): Able to be forgiven or justified; not serious.

  • Forgetting a name is an excusable error.

• Inexcusable (adj): Too bad to be justified or tolerated.

  • His insulting comments were inexcusable.

Synonyms

• Noun: Justification, reason, explanation, defense, alibi, pretext.
• Verb: Forgive, pardon, overlook, justify, explain, absolve, exempt, release.

Related Phrases (Phrasal Verbs)

• Excuse from: To officially allow someone not to do something or not to be somewhere.
  • She was excused from jury duty due to her health.

Related Idioms

• "A lame excuse": A weak or unconvincing reason.

  • Saying you forgot is a lame excuse when you had a whole week to prepare.

• "Excuse me": A polite phrase used to: 1) get someone's attention, 2) apologize for a minor interruption or fault, 3) ask someone to move aside, or 4) express polite disagreement.

  • Excuse me, could you tell me the time?
  • Oh, excuse me, I didn't see you there.

Noun

1. a poor example
   • it was an apology for a meal
   • a poor excuse for an automobile
2. a note explaining an absence
   • he had to get his mother to write an excuse for him
3. a defense of some offensive behavior or some failure to keep a promise etc.
   • he kept finding excuses to stay
   • every day he had a new alibi for not getting a job
   • his transparent self-justification was unacceptable

Verb

1. excuse, overlook, or make allowances for; be lenient with
   • excuse someone's behavior
   • She condoned her husband's occasional infidelities
2. ask for permission to be released from an engagement
3. defend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by reasoning
   • rationalize the child's seemingly crazy behavior
   • he rationalized his lack of success
4. serve as a reason or cause or justification of
   • Your need to sleep late does not excuse your late arrival at work
   • Her recent divorce may explain her reluctance to date again
5. grant exemption or release to
   • Please excuse me from this class
6. accept an excuse for
   • Please excuse my dirty hands