excuse
excuse Lexical Profile
excuse Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A reason or explanation given to justify a fault, offense, or failure to fulfill an obligation.
"Oversleeping was a poor excuse for missing the final exam."
A false or contrived reason given to conceal the real motive for an action; a pretext.
"He used the forgotten folder as an excuse to stop by her office."
An inferior, inadequate, or unsatisfactory specimen of something (usually followed by 'for').
"That dilapidated shed is a pathetic excuse for a workshop."
• verb
To forgive or pardon a minor fault, oversight, or offense.
"Please excuse my late arrival, as the commuter train was delayed."
To attempt to lessen the blame attaching to a fault or offense; to serve as a justification for.
"Nothing can excuse such reckless behavior in a laboratory setting."
To release someone from a duty, obligation, or requirement.
"The judge decided to excuse the juror due to a clear conflict of interest."
To allow someone to leave a room, table, or gathering politely (often used reflexively).
"She asked to be excused from the dinner table to take an urgent phone call."
Word Nuance & Usage
The word 'excuse' is a heteronym whose pronunciation changes by part of speech: the noun ends with an unvoiced 's' sound (/ɪkˈskjuːs/), whereas the verb ends with a voiced 'z' sound (/ɪkˈskjuːz/).
• Rhymes for excuse
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English, borrowed from Old French 'escuser', which derives from Latin 'excusare' ('to release from a charge or blame'), formed from 'ex-' ('out of, away') and 'causa' ('accusation, legal cause').