View results from:
Wordnet |
Webster |
Wiktionary |
Easton
excuse in WordNet English dictionary
noun- 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"
excuse alibi exculpation self-justification
- a poor example
"it was an apology for a meal"; "a poor excuse for an automobile"
apology excuse
- a note explaining an absence
"he had to get his mother to write an excuse for him"
excuse
verb- defend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by reasoning
"rationalize the child's seemingly crazy behavior"; "he rationalized his lack of success"
apologize apologise excuse justify rationalize rationalise
- ask for permission to be released from an engagement
excuse beg off
- excuse, overlook, or make allowances for; be lenient with
"excuse someone's behavior"; "She condoned her husband's occasional infidelities"
excuse condone
- accept an excuse for
"Please excuse my dirty hands"
excuse pardon
- 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"
excuse explain
- grant exemption or release to
"Please excuse me from this class"
excuse relieve let off exempt
WordNet Lexical Database v3.0, © 2006 Princeton University