Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
×

An Encyclopædia Britannica Company

Thesaurus

excuse

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of excuse

an explanation that frees one from fault or blame
  • "A really important phone 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), 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
  • He's always excusing his chronic lying by claiming that everybody lies.
Synonyms of excuse

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.
    • a society that condones alcohol but not narcotics
pardon implies that one remits a penalty due for an admitted or established offense.
    • pardon a criminal
forgive implies that one gives up all claim to requital and to resentment or vengeful feelings.
    • could not forgive their rudeness

Learn More about excuse

  1. See words that rhyme with excuse Dictionary: Definition of excuse Spanish Central: Translation of excuse Nglish: Translation of excuse for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of excuse for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up excuse? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show hide

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

arrogate

play

to seize or ascribe

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. embolization 'the process by which a blood vessel or organ is obstructed by a material mass'

  2. oleaginous 'marked by an offensively ingratiating manner or quality'

  3. pansexual 'sexual desire or attraction...not limited to a particular gender identity or sexual orientation'

  4. symbiote 'an organism living in symbiosis'

  5. charlatan 'faker or fraud'

SEE ALL

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

image250923223
Noun + Verb Insult Generator

A collection of obscure put-downs

alt-5b0834b915e3f
'Judicial' v. 'Judicious': We'll Settle The Case

A judgment call

alt-5b06e60511014
'Deprived' vs. 'Depraved'

Nobody wants to be either.

alt-5b05d8545c817
'Folksonomy': Let’s Get Organized

Tag the way you want to tag.

Ask the Editors

video-ghost-words
Ghost Word

The story of an imaginary word that managed to sneak past our editors and enter the dictionary.

image1760257654
2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

How we chose 'feminism'

video-literally
Literally

How to use a word that (literally) drives some people nuts.

video-his-or-her
Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

The awkward case of 'his or her'

Word Games

spring-flowers
May 2018 Words of the Day Quiz

We’re already at the end of May?!

Take the quiz
image1676440788
Words Used by Nabokov Quiz

How familiar are you with Nabokov’s unfamiliar vocabulary?

Take the quiz
True or False
True or False?

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

Take the quiz
SCRABBLE® Sprint
SCRABBLE® Sprint

SCRABBLE® fans, sharpen your skills!

Play the game