excuse1 verbexcuse2 noun
excuseex‧cuse1 /ɪkˈskjuːz/ ●●● S1 verb [transitive] 
WORD ORIGINexcuse1
Origin:
1400-1500 Old French excuser, from Latin excusare, from causa ‘cause, explanation’VERB TABLE
excuse
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | excuse |
| he, she, it | excuses | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | excused |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have excused |
| he, she, it | has excused | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had excused |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will excuse |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have excused |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am excusing |
| he, she, it | is excusing | |
| you, we, they | are excusing | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was excusing |
| you, we, they | were excusing | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been excusing |
| he, she, it | has been excusing | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been excusing |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be excusing |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been excusing |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Excuse my brother if he talks too much, he's rather excitable.
- Can I be excused from swimming today? I've got a cold.
- I'll try to get them to excuse me from the meeting.
- I'm sorry, but that explanation doesn't excuse what he did.
- I didn't realize this was a formal party, so I hope you can excuse my appearance.
- Kinney asked to be excused from his duties on the board.
- But it is worse it's also a history of mechanical idealism excusing criminal stupidity.
- Constance detected a change in the atmosphere as Giancarlo excused himself and walked down the steps to greet his last guest.
- He does nothing to hide or excuse Jacob's cruelty.
- He doesn't excuse mistakes, he simply won't allow them.
- I got the hiccups, excuse me.
- My accident and stunned expression seemed to excuse me, however.
- Penalties are negotiable, so always try to get penalty charges excused.
- She excuses herself a moment to prepare a tray of little snacks they urge her not to trouble herself to prepare.
Longman Language Activatorways of asking someone to do something or to let you have something
use this to ask someone politely to do something for you or to let you do something: · I'd like to ask you a couple of questions - do you mind?would/do you mind if: · Would you mind if I held the baby?· Do you mind if I just turn down the volume a little?would/do you mind doing something?: · Would you mind stopping at the Post Office on the way home?· Dinner won't be on the table for another half hour - do you mind waiting?
British /(would/could you) do me a favor? American use this to ask someone to do something for you or help you with something. Using do me a favour alone is more informal than saying would or could you do me a favour: · Would you do me a favour and call Tom to tell him I'm on my way home?· Do me a favor - in that box over there, there's a screwdriver - can you hand it to me?· Could you do me a favour and lock everything up at five?
also I would appreciate it if ... use this in formal language or business letters to ask someone to do something for you: · I would be grateful if you could send this information to me at the address below.· I would appreciate it if you could let me know when you will be making your decision.
use this to ask someone to do something for you. Could you and would you are more polite than can you: · Could you hold these while I get my keys?· Would you get me a towel, please?· Can you babysit for us Friday night?
use this to politely get someone's attention or to interrupt what they are doing when you want to ask them something. Pardon me is slightly old-fashioned and is more formal than excuse me: · Excuse me, could I borrow your pen for a minute?· Pardon me, do you know what time it is?
to forgive someone to stop being angry with someone for something bad they have done, especially when they have upset you or done something unkind: · He's not the kind of person who is quick to forgive.· Please forgive me -- it was a complete accident.· Hugh found his wife's behaviour hard to forgive.forgive somebody for something: · He had lied to me, and I couldn't forgive him for that.forgive somebody something: · I could understand her being angry, but I'll still never forgive her the way she treated me afterwards.
to forgive a small fault such as carelessness, rudeness, lateness etc: · Excuse my brother if he talks too much, he's rather excitable.· I didn't realize this was a formal party, so I hope you can excuse my appearance.
formal to forgive someone for something that is not serious, such as impolite or bad-tempered behaviour: · Pardon the mess -- I got home late last night and didn't have time to clean up.pardon somebody for something: · I am so sorry about that, Mr Judd. Please pardon my daughter for her little outburst.
to forgive someone for something that happened in the past, usually a long time ago: · You two haven't said a word to each other for a year now. Don't you think it's time to forgive and forget?· Angela's father was not a man who found it easy to forgive and forget.
spoken to forgive someone for something bad they did to you in the past, and stop being unfriendly towards them: · Why don't we let bygones be bygones and forget about the whole thing?
to let someone do something that is not usually allowed to let someone do something that is slightly different from what the rules allow, especially when you do not officially tell anyone about it: · The state government was willing to bend the rules where necessary in order to create more jobs.· I'll try and get the housing department to bend the rules for us.
to allow someone to do something that is not usually allowed: · I'll make an exception this time, but next time you hand in an essay late I won't accept it.
British a special right that a particular group of people are allowed to have, for example, by the government or by their employer: · Under the previous administration, rich landowners were given generous tax concessions.· Pensioners and disabled people get special concessions on buses and trains.
to allow someone not to have to go to school, work etc, for example because they are ill: be excused from something: · Can I be excused from swimming today? I've got a cold.· Kinney asked to be excused from his duties on the board.excuse somebody from something: · I'll try to get them to excuse me from the meeting.
if you exempt someone, you give them special permission not to have to do something that they and other people are normally expected to do: exempt somebody from something: · The new law exempts people who earn less than $8000 a year from paying any taxes.· My father was exempted from military service on the grounds of ill health.
to officially say that a rule or a legal punishment can be ignored, especially because in this particular situation it is not important or useful to keep to it: · The court decided to waive her fine as it was her first offence.· The industry asked the Federal Communications Commission to waive a rule that limits the amount of power used to send a data transmission over a telephone line.
what you say to tell someone that you are sorry spoken say this to tell someone you are sorry that you upset them or caused problems for them; you can also say this as a polite way of excusing yourself for a small mistake: · I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude.· Sorry, did I step on your foot?I'm very/really/terribly sorry: · I'm really sorry, Joanna. I've broken one of your glasses.sorry/I'm sorry (that): · I'm sorry that I shouted at you.· Sorry we're late, Shelley.sorry/I'm sorry about: · Sorry about all the noise.sorry/I'm sorry to do something: · I'm sorry to bother you, but I need to discuss my essay.sorry/I'm sorry for (doing something): · I'm sorry for barging in without ringing the bell.
especially American, spoken say this to tell someone you are sorry because you accidentally touched them or made a small or embarrassing mistake: · Oh, excuse me, is that your bag I just stood on?· Excuse me - I didn't realize there was anyone in here.
formal spoken say this when you make a small mistake and you want to say sorry politely: · "That's my pen." "Oh, I beg your pardon - I thought it was mine.''
also I apologise British say this to apologize in a fairly formal way, for example when you have upset someone or done something wrong or unfair: · You were right and I was wrong. I apologize.· I apologize in advance if anyone's offended by this.I apologize for: · I apologise for writing to you like this, out of the blue.
say this when you have done something that you later find out to be wrong or unfair: · It seems I owe you an apology -- I was supposed to phone you on Saturday night.I owe you an apology for (doing something): · I think I owe you an apology for my behaviour the other night.
say this when you have done something wrong or have upset someone, or when you are going to say or ask something that might seem rude or offensive: · Forgive me, I didn't mean to offend you.forgive me for doing something: · Forgive me for asking, but how old are you?· Forgive me for saying this, but you really don't look well at all.
used in formal letters: · Please accept my apologies. I will be taking steps to ensure this does not happen again.please accept my apologies for: · Please accept my apologies for any inconvenience this error has caused.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY
Smith can be excused for his lack of interest in the course (=his lack of interest is reasonable).COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES John concocted an elaborate excuse for being late. a flimsy excuse They were glad of the chance to finally get some sleep. She gave some lame excuse about missing the bus. Marty’s staple excuses She’s washing her hair? That sounds like a weak excuse!COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB
Smith can be excused for his lack of interest in the course (=his lack of interest is reasonable). John concocted an elaborate excuse for being late. a flimsy excuse They were glad of the chance to finally get some sleep. She gave some lame excuse about missing the bus. (=used to show you know you are making a pun)
· He tried to think of a reasonable excuse.
Marty’s staple excuses· You must have a valid excuse for any absence.
She’s washing her hair? That sounds like a weak excuse!· However, you must now please excuse me.· So please excuse this disjointed and probably feeble-minded letter which is such a bad answer to your very nice one.· But, Charl, please excuse us while we say a little prayer for Jack.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► excuse me (for living)!PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► pardon/excuse my French► stock excuse/question/remark etc► threadbare excuse/argument/joke etc
- Excuse me - I didn't realize there was anyone in here.
- Excuse me for a minute. I'll be right back.
- Excuse me. I need to get through.
- Excuse me. Is this the right bus to the airport?
- Oh, excuse me, is that your bag I just stood on?
- Oh, excuse me. Did I mispronounce your name?
- Oh, excuse me. I didn't know you were standing in line.
- Answer, all I know is Sam and Diane were there, was there, excuse me.
- If you will excuse me I must get back to lurking.
- Oh excuse me, I am.
- Well, excuse me, M'Lud, there are other explanations.
- Richard excused himself and went to his room.
- Constance detected a change in the atmosphere as Giancarlo excused himself and walked down the steps to greet his last guest.
- He has excused himself from a dinner meeting to return her call.
- I excuse myself for this failure of perception, for I think he was concealing it even from himself.
- I excused myself from Mr Cardinal and moved towards the doors.
- On the ground, when they had left the parked plane, Myeloski excused himself and went to the men's room.
- Once, my eyes start to fill with tears and I excuse myself and go to find the bathroom.
- She was sitting at the mirror in her room, having excused herself from her cousins' chatter minutes before.
- They heard Paul excuse himself to go into the house.
- According to Ken Harris, she has a cast-iron alibi.
- Do not expect a cast-iron guarantee of success.
- For those who claimed to have seen or heard it all before, racism was always the same old story.
- It's always the same old story.
- It seems to be the same old story.
- Oh, you know - it's the same old story.
- Sounds like the same old story really.
WORD FAMILYnounexcuseadjectiveexcusable ≠ inexcusableverbexcuseadverbinexcusably
1excuse me spoken a)used when you want to get someone’s attention politely, especially when you want to ask a question: Excuse me, can you tell me the way to the museum please? b)used to say that you are sorry for doing something rude or embarrassing: Oh, excuse me. I didn’t know anyone was here. c)used to ask someone politely to move so that you can walk past: Excuse me, could I just squeeze past? d)used to politely tell someone that you are leaving a place: Excuse me a moment. I’ll be right back. e)used when you disagree with someone but want to be polite about it SYN I’m sorry: Excuse me, but I don’t think that’s what he meant at all. f)American English used to show that you disagree with someone or are very surprised or upset by what they have just said: ‘You’re going to pay, right?’ ‘Excuse me?’ g)especially American English used to ask someone to repeat something that they have just said SYN pardon me: ‘What time is it?’ ‘Excuse me?’ ‘I asked you what time it is.’2forgive to forgive someone for doing something that is not seriously wrong, such as being rude or careless: I’ll excuse you this time, but don’t be late again. Please excuse my bad handwriting.excuse somebody for (doing) something Please excuse me for being so late today. Smith can be excused for his lack of interest in the course (=his lack of interest is reasonable).RegisterIn informal situations, people often say sorry about …, sorry for doing ... or sorry I … rather than asking someone to excuse something:· Sorry about my handwriting.· Sorry for being so late, or Sorry I’m so late.3from a duty to allow someone not to do something that they are supposed to dobe excused from (doing) something Can I be excused from swimming today? I have a cold.GRAMMAR Excuse is usually passive in this meaning.4explain to be or give a good reason for someone’s careless or offensive behaviour: Nothing can excuse that kind of rudeness.5from a place to give someone permission to leave a place: May I please be excused from the table?GRAMMAR Excuse is usually passive in this meaning.6excuse yourself to say politely that you need to leave a place: Richard excused himself and went to his room.7excuse me (for living)! spoken used to show that you are annoyed when someone has told you that you have done something wrongexcuse1 verbexcuse2 noun
excuseex‧cuse2 /ɪkˈskjuːs/ ●●● S3 noun [countable] EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- He doesn't make excuses when he gets something wrong.
- He said his car had broken down, but it was just an excuse for coming home late.
- Oh shut up Bill, I'm tired of listening to your excuses.
- That is the most feeble excuse for failing a test that I have ever heard.
- But Symington and his allies used it as an excuse to further postpone what is inevitable and right.
- D'Arquebus Senior's pedantic excuses made no sense.
- I had to rush the decorators through, but I knew exactly what I wanted and I wouldn't take any excuse.
- There were complaints by black youths of police harassment, the sus laws merely being used as an excuse for this.
- We shall use his perceived activities as an excuse for not growing up.
- Yet, after three years, it also sounded like an excuse.
THESAURUSa reason that does not seem believable
a reason that you give to explain why you have done something bad, or not done something that you should have done – especially one that is not completely true: · She said she couldn’t come because she had to work late, but it was just an excuse.· a feeble excuse (=one that is hard to believe)
especially written an untrue reason that you give for doing or not doing something, in order to hide the real reason: · He would often find some pretext to go out in the evening alone.· They used this as a pretext for taking military action.
Longman Language Activatora reason explaining why you did something wrong something that you say to try to explain why you did something bad, so that people will forgive you: · Oh shut up Bill, I'm tired of listening to your excuses.excuse for: · He said his car had broken down, but it was just an excuse for coming home late.make excuses (=invent excuses in order to try to escape punishment or blame): · He doesn't make excuses when he gets something wrong.feeble/pathetic/weak excuse: · That is the most feeble excuse for failing a test that I have ever heard.
something that you say which gives good reasons for something wrong which you have done: · This work should have been finished a week ago. What's your explanation?explanation for: · He offered no explanation for his absence at the previous day's meeting.
when there is no reason for someone's behaviour use this to say that there is no reason for someone to think or behave in a particular way: be no reason to do something: · I know I'm late, but that's no reason to lose your temper.there is no reason for something: · Please remain calm everyone. There is no reason for panic.
use this to say that there is no acceptable reason for someone to think or behave in a bad or unfair way. Be no justification is more formal than be no excuse: · "But she started it." "That's no excuse."be no excuse/justification to do something: · Ron may not be the most pleasant person to work with, but that's no justification to fire him.there's no excuse/justification for something: · There's no excuse for such childish behaviour from a grown man.
groundless fears, suspicions etc that are unnecessary because there are no facts to base them on: · Fleury dismissed our fears as groundless, though he was secretly alarmed.· A message from Interpol confirmed that our Inspector's suspicions were far from groundless.
worries, fears, hopes etc that are unfounded are wrong because there are no reasons to have these feelings: · I am going to prove to you that your suspicions are entirely unfounded.· All the signs indicate that the general's optimism is unfounded.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Meanings 1 & 2verbs John concocted an elaborate excuse for being late. a flimsy excuse They were glad of the chance to finally get some sleep. She gave some lame excuse about missing the bus. Marty’s staple excuses She’s washing her hair? That sounds like a weak excuse!COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE
· I made up some excuse about my car breaking down.· We’d better think up an excuse, fast.
(=give reasons which try to explain why someone has made a mistake or behaved badly)· His mother was always making excuses for her son's behaviour.
· She never complained or used her illness as an excuse.
· I began to look for excuses to avoid seeing him.
· I'll have to give my boss some kind of excuse.
· She didn’t believe his excuse for one minute.
· Companies have no excuse for breaking the law.
adjectives· A sunny day is a good excuse to go to the beach.
(=a very good excuse)· A wedding is a wonderful excuse to buy a new outfit.
(=one that other people will believe)· If your train was cancelled, that is a perfectly reasonable excuse.
(=one that is true and that other people cannot criticize)· He didn’t have a legitimate excuse for being late.
· The phone call gave me the perfect excuse to leave.
(=one that is difficult to believe)· Joe muttered some feeble excuse about having a headache.
(=very weak)· That’s the most pathetic excuse I’ve ever heard.
· He made the usual excuses for not coming.· Whenever the trains are late, it's always the same old excuse.
· The rioting provided the government with a convenient excuse not to hold an election.
phrases (=use every possible excuse)· He used every excuse in the book to avoid seeing the doctor.
(=for any reason, however unimportant)· She comes to our house at the slightest excuse.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES John concocted an elaborate excuse for being late. a flimsy excuse They were glad of the chance to finally get some sleep. She gave some lame excuse about missing the bus. (=used to show you know you are making a pun)
· He tried to think of a reasonable excuse.
Marty’s staple excuses· You must have a valid excuse for any absence.
She’s washing her hair? That sounds like a weak excuse!· Before she could announce me, I retrieved the coat, muttered a few feeble excuses, and ran.
· Pantomime - what a good excuse to forget your age and join in with the booing, hissing, singing and hilarity.· This means made without good cause or excuse and could extend to a reckless statement.· Finally, he decided to make good on the excuse he'd used to leave early and connected with the dish system.· I think it a good excuse to get away from his family.· What is your best excuse for a motorway policeman who has just caught you speeding?· And he says our own economic worries aren't a good enough excuse.· You may consider that you have a good excuse for late submission and decide to appeal.· But it is a good excuse for us to send out a patrol of our own.
· Stephen made lame excuses, saying Edward was jet-lagged and preferred to stay in his room.· It was a lame excuse, and I bluntly told him that he owed it to posterity to relate his story.· But every pretty maid had left, some without notice, others picking lame excuses from a hat.· It sounds a lame excuse, I know, but I never seem to be able to find the time.
· The only excuse for the House of Lords is that it exists.· My only excuse is that I love Paige very much, and I always protect those I love.· I suppose the only excuse is the enormity of the tragedy that mankind faces.· Her only excuse was that it had happened so quickly - too quickly.
· Crowe offered a pathetic excuse about investigating woodworm infestation for his nature column, but I soon beetled the truth out of him.
· She should be thankful for it. Perfect excuse on the mercifully rare occasions when he hinted, showed any interest.· Your accountant can be a perfect excuse for you not to invest in your friends' financially uncertain ventures.· It was the perfect excuse for ringing up complete strangers and asking all sort of personal questions.· The panic attacks gave her the perfect excuse, as no blame could possibly be attributed to her.· If you've never experienced an exemption show before, this is the perfect excuse to have a go.· However, Simon came to call at Regent's Park, he had the perfect excuse.
· No. 17. finding the plausible excuse Think of some situation where one needs tact and diplomacy.
· But Tories have continued to attack, saying the scheme is a poor excuse for real pedestrianisation.· Do not make a poor excuse Waiting, weak, unsteady.
· The driver refused and was in due course convicted by justices of failing to provide a specimen without reasonable excuse.· There is, it should be noted, no exception for reasonable excuse in this section.· A player without a reasonable excuse should be barred from entering the competition the following year.· A refusal to answer questions for example, could, in the absence of reasonable excuse, amount to contempt of court.· Note: Failure without reasonable excuse to comply with these requirements is a criminal offence.
· But that is not a valid excuse.· There was the valid excuse to delay the marriage because air force regulations stipulated only unmarried men may enter pilot training school.
VERB· Hyacinth came with them, more for company and the irrefutable excuse to avoid work than from any religious inclination.· But Gingrich provides an alluring excuse for avoiding having to work out exactly what they are for.
· He was always finding some excuse to hold that wretched girl.· Twenty minutes passed before Rosie found an excuse to head my way.· Each time there's a local sighting I usually find an excuse to go out and try to discover it myself.· I find excuses to be alone with him.· Everyone knew that she would find an excuse to leave when this delightful house party broke up.· This often results in delay - postponing the choice by finding an excuse or setting an unnecessarily long timescale.· But he could find no excuse whatever for pleasure alone.
· It also gives me an excuse to mention the much neglected Silver speciality, drive lace.· Mr Strine also gives readers excuses for his losses, such as injuries to key players or even the weather.· The panic attacks gave her the perfect excuse, as no blame could possibly be attributed to her.· Plus, it gives you an excuse to wear shorts a lot.· And it gives us an excuse to let people know about the River Thames.· The tollgate at the bridge gave him another excuse for dallying.· You imagine this war gives you the excuse to disobey me and do exactly as you wish.· The first night after George left her was one of the planned stops, giving him no excuse to worry.
· For a moment he thought she was going to invent some excuse.· If I ring and invent some excuse she knows me too well not to see through it.· If the woman didn't move soon she would have to invent an excuse.· He offers them another unsettling peacemaking idea; they invent another excuse for turning it down.
· None of these reasons provides an adequate excuse for leaving an important ingredient like behaviour to chance.· I made my excuses and left.· Neil Fraser looked tired and on edge, his wife was subdued and made an excuse to leave them early.· Everyone knew that she would find an excuse to leave when this delightful house party broke up.· Inventing farfetched excuses, she left me trapped in her flat and made no attempt to help me look for work.· Maggie became an excuse to leave the endless collective meetings early.· I made my excuses and left before Grant Watson remembered I owed him an essay.· There are no excuses left for me or anyone in my position, for Government or for Opposition.
· Mr. Portillo I know that the Labour party thinks that it has lost the election, and is looking for an excuse.· But maybe she was looking for an excuse not to be part of this informal evening.· I felt they were looking for any excuse to start a fight.· Jody Runge is a lawsuit looking for an excuse to happen.· I've been looking for an excuse to cut my lord Heuil out of the pack, and now you give me this.· Are they just moaning minnies looking for excuses?· I'd been looking for an excuse to make something in ebony for ages, anyway!
· Or are you here to make some pretty excuse that will enable you to see him?· But he always made excuses for them, thought up good reasons for their being late.· When she became engrossed in some new work he made her preoccupation an excuse for drawing away from her.· We could ascribe these setbacks to the fact that our regime is young, or make other excuses.· I made an excuse and settled for tea and muesli.· All veteran field-trip chaperons know to make some excuse that will allow them to drive their own cars and meet the buses.· Anyway, I've made all the excuses - it just depends where your head's at.· Conditions are seldom ideal, and if one waits long enough for ideal conditions, then one is just making excuses.
· All she needed now was an excuse to contact her.· What we need is a new excuse to go somewhere.· I don't need any excuse.· I suppose a bully doesn't need an excuse.· And after a while you didn't need that excuse.· He didn't need excuses, not when the wife was away, but every little encouragement helped.
· City player-manager Peter Reid offered no excuses.· His criticisms have been constructive, and he has offered no excuses.· It is true that it was a dreadful blow, and that we were bitterly disappointed, but we offer no excuses.· A mixture of muddle-headedness and corruption offers an excuse for do-nothing politics in the west.· When intensive care or emergency surgery are used inappropriately doctors sometimes offer as an excuse their uncertainty about the law.· Crowe offered a pathetic excuse about investigating woodworm infestation for his nature column, but I soon beetled the truth out of him.
· Queries and Disputes Queries and disputes provide the greatest excuses ever for not paying accounts.· None of these reasons provides an adequate excuse for leaving an important ingredient like behaviour to chance.· It will only cause a problem where none exists and provide an excuse for delaying payments on existing debts.· Apart from providing her with an excuse to respond to his card, the idea in itself was a perfectly good one.· She obviously hadn't expected Jessamy to provide her with an excuse for staying longer at the house.· We have seen how law and theory unite to provide a list of excuses which rebut the normal presumption of voluntariness.· But Gingrich provides an alluring excuse for avoiding having to work out exactly what they are for.· Or it can sometimes provide an excuse not to become involved in projects that require effort.
· She had to think of an excuse for staying in Walton Street.· In any event, if you want an excuse to stay in the market, Greenspan offers that, too.· She obviously hadn't expected Jessamy to provide her with an excuse for staying longer at the house.
· My flatmate moved out a month ago, and in that month I've used it as an excuse to binge.· But Symington and his allies used it as an excuse to further postpone what is inevitable and right.· There are people out there who will use any excuse to cause trouble.· My patients often use that as an excuse for chocolate binges, shopping binges, alcohol, and affairs.· There were complaints by black youths of police harassment, the sus laws merely being used as an excuse for this.· They should not use the excuse of a different technology as a rationale for imposing different standards on speech.· Perhaps she had heard our voices and used them as an excuse to break away from Henry Clerval.· Is it fair to use homework as an excuse?
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES► pardon/excuse my French► stock excuse/question/remark etc► threadbare excuse/argument/joke etc
- But precisely because the stakes are so high there is no excuse for ignoring nuances, glossing over contradictions and exaggerating faults.
- But there is no excuse for modern hymns to contain gender-based or sexist language.
- Do make sure the welts are not floppy. there is no excuse for this, even with a single bed double rib.
- I concede that the Newcastle doctors may be ignorant but there is no excuse for you.
- In Britain, for example, there is no excuse for not knowing recent trends in the cost of living.
- Nowadays, there is no excuse for getting into trouble.
- So there is no excuse for ignoring the chance to communicate.
- With modern technology there is no excuse for this kind of slapdash remastering.
- How dared he stand her up - and then get that woman to phone and make his excuses?
- I made my excuses and departed soon after that.
- I made my excuses and left before Grant Watson remembered I owed him an essay.
- I made my excuses and left.
- Two-thirds of those summoned for jury service do not turn up, some making their excuses, some not bothering.
- Valerie Jones made her excuses and left - she had had more than enough coffee.
- We made our excuses and left.
- We make our excuses, in fact.
- But Tories have continued to attack, saying the scheme is a poor excuse for real pedestrianisation.
- According to Ken Harris, she has a cast-iron alibi.
- Do not expect a cast-iron guarantee of success.
- For those who claimed to have seen or heard it all before, racism was always the same old story.
- It's always the same old story.
- It seems to be the same old story.
- Oh, you know - it's the same old story.
- Sounds like the same old story really.
WORD FAMILYnounexcuseadjectiveexcusable ≠ inexcusableverbexcuseadverbinexcusably
1a reason that you give to explain careless or offensive behaviourexcuse for (doing) something What’s your excuse for being late this time? I’m tired of listening to his excuses.► see thesaurus at reason2a reason that you invent to explain an action and to hide your real intentionsexcuse to do something I need an excuse to call her.excuse for The conference is just an excuse for a holiday in New York.3there is no excuse for something used to say that someone’s behaviour is too bad to be explained or accepted: There is no excuse for such rudeness.4make your excuses to explain why you are not able to do something: Please make my excuses at the meeting tomorrow.5a poor/rotten etc excuse for something used when you think someone or something is very bad: He’s a rotten excuse for a lawyer. Why on earth did you hire him?6American English a note written by your doctor or one of your parents saying that you were ill on a particular day SYN sick note British EnglishCOLLOCATIONS– Meanings 1 & 2verbsmake up/think up/invent an excuse· I made up some excuse about my car breaking down.· We’d better think up an excuse, fast.make excuses for somebody/something (=give reasons which try to explain why someone has made a mistake or behaved badly)· His mother was always making excuses for her son's behaviour.use something as an excuse· She never complained or used her illness as an excuse.look for an excuse· I began to look for excuses to avoid seeing him.give an excuse· I'll have to give my boss some kind of excuse.believe/accept an excuse· She didn’t believe his excuse for one minute.have an excuse· Companies have no excuse for breaking the law.adjectivesa good excuse· A sunny day is a good excuse to go to the beach.a wonderful excuse (=a very good excuse)· A wedding is a wonderful excuse to buy a new outfit.a reasonable/plausible excuse (=one that other people will believe)· If your train was cancelled, that is a perfectly reasonable excuse.a legitimate/valid excuse (=one that is true and that other people cannot criticize)· He didn’t have a legitimate excuse for being late.the perfect excuse· The phone call gave me the perfect excuse to leave.a feeble/flimsy/weak excuse (=one that is difficult to believe)· Joe muttered some feeble excuse about having a headache.a pathetic/lame excuse (=very weak)· That’s the most pathetic excuse I’ve ever heard.the usual excuse/the same old excuse· He made the usual excuses for not coming.· Whenever the trains are late, it's always the same old excuse.a convenient excuse· The rioting provided the government with a convenient excuse not to hold an election.phrasesuse every excuse in the book (=use every possible excuse)· He used every excuse in the book to avoid seeing the doctor.at the slightest excuse (=for any reason, however unimportant)· She comes to our house at the slightest excuse.