Thesaurus

excuse

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of excuse

an explanation that frees one from fault or blame

"a really important business call" is no excuse for not paying proper attention to one's driving

Synonyms of excuse

alibi, apology, defense, justification, plea, reason

Words Related to excuse

color, guise, pretense (or pretence), pretext, rationale, rationalization, vindication, whitewash

cop-out, out

acknowledgment (or acknowledgement), atonement, confession

extenuation, palliation

Synonym Discussion of excuse

apology, apologia, excuse, plea, pretext, alibi mean matter offered in explanation or defense. apology usually applies to an expression of regret for a mistake or wrong with implied admission of guilt or fault and with or without reference to mitigating or extenuating circumstances.

- said by way of apology that he would have met them if he could

apologia implies not admission of guilt or regret but a desire to make clear the grounds for some course, belief, or position.

- his speech was an apologia for his foreign policy

excuse implies an intent to avoid or remove blame or censure.

- used illness as an excuse for missing the meeting

plea stresses argument or appeal for understanding or sympathy or mercy.

- her usual plea that she was nearsighted

pretext suggests subterfuge and the offering of false reasons or motives in excuse or explanation.

- used any pretext to get out of work

alibi implies a desire to shift blame or evade punishment and imputes mere plausibility to the explanation.

- his alibi failed to stand scrutiny

excuse

verb

Synonyms and Antonyms of excuse

1 to dismiss as of little importance

more often than not, voters are willing to excuse a candidate's youthful indiscretion

Synonyms of excuse

blink (at), brush (aside or off), condone, discount, disregard, forgive, gloss (over), gloze (over), ignore, overlook, overpass, paper over, pardon, pass over, remit, shrug off, whitewash, wink (at)

Words Related to excuse

explain, justify, rationalize

absolve, acquit, clear, exculpate, exonerate, vindicate

waive, wave (aside or off)

Phrases Synonymous with excuse

close one's eyes to, forgive and forget

Near Antonyms of excuse

heed, mark, mind, note, object (to)

2 to be an acceptable reason for

having a female passenger in labor will generally excuse a little disregard for the speed limit

Synonyms of excuse

justify

Words Related to excuse

account (for), alibi, explain, explain away, rationalize

brush (aside or off), condone, disregard, forgive, gloss (over), gloze (over), ignore, pardon, pass over, remit, shrug off, wink (at)

3 to make (something) seem less bad by offering excuses

heʼs always excusing his chronic lying by claiming that everybody lies

Synonyms of excuse

deodorize, explain away, extenuate, gloss (over), gloze (over), palliate, whitewash

Words Related to excuse

sugarcoat, varnish

apologize, atone, confess

account (for), explain, justify, rationalize

minimize, play down, soft-pedal

alleviate, ease, lessen, lighten, mitigate, moderate, soften, temper

absolve, acquit, clear, exculpate, exonerate, vindicate

Synonym Discussion of excuse

excuse, condone, pardon, forgive mean to exact neither punishment nor redress. excuse may refer to specific acts especially in social or conventional situations or the person responsible for these.

- excuse an interruption
- excused them for interrupting

Often the term implies extenuating circumstances.

- injustice excuses strong responses

condone implies that one overlooks without censure behavior (such as dishonesty or violence) that involves a serious breach of a moral, ethical, or legal code, and the term may refer to the behavior or to the agent responsible for it.