excuse Synonyms
Another word for excuse
• verb (Context 1)
To forgive or pardon a minor fault, oversight, or offense.
"Please forgive my late arrival, as the commuter train was delayed."
• noun (Context 2)
A reason or explanation given to justify a fault, offense, or failure to fulfill an obligation.
"Oversleeping was a poor justification for missing the final exam."
• verb (Context 3)
To attempt to lessen the blame attaching to a fault or offense; to serve as a justification for.
"Nothing can justify such reckless behavior in a laboratory setting."
• verb (Context 4)
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."
• verb (Context 5)
To release someone from a duty, obligation, or requirement.
"The judge decided to exempt the juror due to a clear conflict of interest."
• noun (Context 6)
A false or contrived reason given to conceal the real motive for an action; a pretext.
"He used the forgotten folder as an pretext to stop by her office."
• noun (Context 7)
An inferior, inadequate, or unsatisfactory specimen of something (usually followed by 'for').
"That dilapidated shed is a pathetic travesty for a workshop."
Opposites of excuse
The opposite of excuse shifts depending on context. Common opposites include: