excuse as a noun: - 1
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as a verb: - 1
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excuse
noun
1 excuse
A defense of some offensive behavior or some failure to keep a promise etc.:
— He kept finding excuses to stay.
synonyms: alibi, exculpation, self-justification.
Roget 937:
vindication,
justification,
warrant;
exoneration,
exculpation;
acquittal
etc.
970;
whitewashing.
extenuation;
palliation,
palliative;
softening,
mitigation.
reply,
defense;
recrimination
etc.
938.
apology,
gloss,
varnish;
plea
etc.
617;
salvo;
excuse,
extenuating circumstances;
allowance,
allowance to be made;
locus paenitentiae [Lat.].
apologist,
vindicator,
justifier;
defendant
etc.
938.
justifiable charge,
true bill.
v..
justify,
warrant;
be an excuse for
etc.
n.;
lend a color,
furnish a handle;
vindicate;
exculpate,
disculpate†;
acquit
etc.
970;
clear,
set right,
exonerate,
whitewash;
clear the skirts of.
extenuate,
palliate,
excuse,
soften,
apologize,
varnish,
slur,
gloze;
put a gloss,
put a good face upon;
mince;
gloss over,
bolster up,
help a lame dog over a stile.
advocate,
defend,
plead one's cause;
stand up for,
stick up for,
speak up for;
contend for,
speak for;
bear out,
keep in countenance,
support;
plead
&c.,
617;
say in defense;
plead ignorance;
confess and avoid,
propugn†,
put in a good word for.
take the will for the deed,
make allowance for,
give credit for,
do justice to;
give one his due,
give the Devil his due.
make good;
prove the truth of,
prove one's case;
be justified by the event.
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Roget 927a:
exemption,
freedom,
irresponsibility,
immunity,
liberty,
license,
release,
exoneration,
excuse,
dispensation,
absolution,
franchise,
renunciation,
discharge;
exculpation
etc.
970.
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Roget 617:
pretext,
pretense,
pretension,
plea†;
allegation,
advocation;
ostensible motive,
ostensible ground,
ostensible reason,
phony reason;
excuse
etc.
(vindication)
937;
subterfuge;
color;
gloss,
guise,
cover.
loop hole,
starting hole;
how to creep out of,
salvo,
come off;
way of escape.
handle,
peg to hang on,
room locus standi [Lat.];
stalking-horse,
cheval de bataille [Fr.],
cue.
pretense
etc.
(untruth)
546;
put off,
dust thrown in the eyes;
blind;
moonshine;
mere pretext,
shallow pretext;
lame excuse,
lame apology;
tub to a whale;
false plea,
sour grapes;
makeshift,
shift,
white lie;
special pleading
etc.
(sophistry)
477;
soft sawder
etc.
(flattery)
933†.
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Roget 918:
forgiveness,
pardon,
condonation,
grace,
remission,
absolution,
amnesty,
oblivion;
indulgence;
reprieve.
conciliation;
reconcilement;
reconciliation
etc.
(pacification)
723;
propitiation.
excuse,
exoneration,
quittance,
release,
indemnity;
bill of indemnity,
act of indemnity,
covenant of indemnity,
deed of indemnity;
exculpation
etc.
(acquittal)
970.
longanimity†,
placability;
amantium irae [Lat.];
locus paenitentiae [Lat.];
forbearance.
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Dutch: alibi, excuus, flous, zelfrechtvaardiging
Polish: wymówka, wykręt
2 excuse
A note explaining an absence.
3 excuse
A poor example:
— A poor excuse for an automobile.
synonym: apology.
verb
1 excuse
Accept an excuse for:
— Please excuse my dirty hands.
synonym: pardon.
Roget 617:
pretend,
plead,
allege;
shelter oneself under the plea of;
excuse
etc.
(vindicate)
937;
lend a color to;
furnish a handle
etc.
n.;
make a pretext of,
make a handle of;
use as a plea
etc.
n.;
take one's stand upon,
make capital out of,
pretend
etc.
(lie)
544.
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Roget 918:
forgive,
forgive and forget;
pardon,
condone,
think no more of,
let bygones be bygones,
shake hands;
forget an injury.
excuse,
pass over,
overlook;
wink at
etc.
(neglect)
460;
bear with;
allow for,
make allowances for;
let one down easily,
not be too hard upon,
pocket the affront.
let off,
remit,
absolve,
give absolution,
reprieve;
acquit
etc.
970.
beg pardon,
ask pardon,
implore pardon
etc.
n.;
conciliate,
propitiate,
placate;
make up a quarrel
etc.
(pacify)
723;
let the wound heal.
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Roget 777a:
not have
etc.
777;
be without
etc.
adj.;
excuse.
2 excuse
Grant exemption or release to:
— Please excuse me from this class.
synonyms: exempt, let off, relieve.
Roget 927a:
be exempt
etc.
adj..
exempt,
release,
acquit,
discharge,
quitclaim,
remise,
remit;
free,
set at liberty,
let off,
pass over,
spare,
excuse,
dispense with,
give dispensation,
license;
stretch a point;
absolve
etc.
(forgive)
918;
exonerate
etc.
(exculpate)
970;
save the necessity.
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3 excuse
Serve as a reason or cause or justification of:
— Your need to sleep late does not excuse your late arrival at work.
synonym: explain.
Dutch: verklaren, uitleggen
4 excuse
Defend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by reasoning.
synonyms: apologise, apologize, rationalise, rationalize.
Dutch: vergeven, verontschuldigen, zich verontschuldigen, excuseren, billijken, goedpraten, justificeren, justifiëren, rechtigen, rechtvaardigen, verantwoorden, vergoelijken, wettigen ... show more
5 excuse
Ask for permission to be released from an engagement.
synonym: beg off.
Dutch: verontschuldigen
6 excuse
Excuse, overlook, or make allowances for; be lenient with:
— Excuse someone's behavior.
synonym: condone.
Dutch: vergoelijken, toelaten, vergeven
Moby thesaurus: abject apology, absolution, absolve, acknowledgment, acquit, acquittal, acquittance, alibi, alibi out of, allow, amnesty, apologize for, apology, basis, be blind to, blind, breast-beating, cause, clear, clearance, clearing, cloak, color, compurgation, condonation, condone, confession, contrition, cop-out, cover, cover story, cover with excuses, cover-up, decontaminate, defence, defend, defense, destigmatization, destigmatize, destigmatizing, device, discharge, disculpation, dismiss, dismissal, dispense, dispense from, dispense with, disregard, escape, evasion, except, exculpate, exculpation, exempt, exempt from, exemption, exonerate, exoneration, explain, explanation, extenuate, extenuation, facade, feint, forgive, forgiveness, foundation, free, front, give absolution, give dispensation from, gloss, gloss over, grace, grant amnesty to, grant forgiveness, grant immunity, grant remission, grounds, guise, handle, heedlessness, ignore, immunity, indemnity, indulgence, justification, justify, lame excuse, let go, let off, liberate, lie out of, likely story, locus standi, loophole, make apology for, makeshift, mask, mea culpa, mitigate, mitigation, nonpros, offer excuse for, ostensible motive, out, overlook, palliate, palliation, pardon, pass over, penitence, permit, plea, plead ignorance, poor excuse, pretense, pretension, pretext, protestation, public motive, purgation, purge, purging, put-off, quash the charge, quietus, quittance, rational ground, rationale, rationalization, rationalize, reason, reason for, reason why, redemption, refuge, regrets, release, relieve, remise, remission, remission of sin, remit, reprieve, right, save the necessity, screen, semblance, set free, sham, shift, show, shrift, shrive, shrug off, smoke screen, spare, sparing, squirm out of, stalking-horse, stall, stated cause, stopgap, story, stratagem, substitute, subterfuge, the big idea, the idea, the whatfor, the wherefore, the why, trick, underlying reason, varnish, veil, verdict of acquittal, vindicate, vindication, warrant, way out, whitewash, wink at, withdraw the charge, worm out of ... show more.
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