excuse
gb/ɪkskjˈus/ us/ɪkskjˈus/
A2
English
~ 8600
elnéz, kifogás, felment, elenged, igazolás, felmentés, kikérő, igazol, ment, valaminek is gyenge
VERB
A2
1
elnéz
B1
Usage pattern:
to excuse [someone] for [something]
Please excuse me for arriving so late to the meeting.
Kérem, nézzék el nekem, hogy ilyen későn érkeztem a megbeszélésre.
I hope you can excuse the noise; the neighbors are having construction done.
Remélem, el tudják nézni a zajt; a szomszédoknál felújítanak.
Excuse my appearance, I came straight from the gym.
He asked the teacher to excuse him for missing yesterday’s class.
I can’t excuse that kind of rude behavior toward the staff.
Learner examples
Please excuse me for the mistake.
Kérem, nézze el nekem a hibát.
Excuse the mess; I just got home.
Nézzétek el a rendetlenséget; épp most értem haza.
She could not excuse his bad words.
Excuse my son; he is very tired today.
I hope you will excuse me if I leave early.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"forgive me to be late"* instead of *"excuse me for being late"* or *"forgive me for being late"*. Use *excuse [someone] for [noun/verb-ing]*, for example: *"Please excuse me for being late"*. They may also confuse *"I’m sorry"* and *"excuse me"*: *"I’m sorry"* focuses on feeling bad, while *"excuse me"* politely asks the other person not to be upset.
Meaning
forgive or overlook a small fault
Collocations
please excuse me
|excuse the mess
|excuse my son
|excuse my French
|excuse [someone] for being late
|kindly excuse
Synonyms
forgive (Stronger and more general; can be used for serious things as well as small ones, not just polite language.)
Antonyms
blame (To say someone is responsible for something bad, the opposite of forgiving or overlooking it.)
Themes
daily life
|politeness
|emotions
|relationships
|daily_life
Definition
To say that you are not angry about a small mistake or problem, often in a polite way.
To forgive or politely overlook someone’s minor mistake, bad behavior, or inconvenience, often when they ask you to.
NOUN
A2
2
kifogás
B1
Usage pattern:
an excuse for [something]
He was late again, and his excuse about the traffic sounded very weak.
Már megint elkésett, és a forgalomra hivatkozó kifogása nagyon gyengének tűnt.
Stop making excuses and just tell me what really happened.
Hagyd abba a kifogások keresését, és mondd el, mi történt valójában.
She always has an excuse for not finishing her homework on time.
That’s no excuse for speaking to your parents like that.
He used his busy schedule as an excuse to avoid meeting us.
Learner examples
He was late, and his excuse was not good.
Elkésett, és a kifogása nem volt jó.
She made an excuse for missing the class.
Valamilyen kifogást hozott fel arra, hogy miért hiányzott az óráról.
I do not want to hear any more excuses.
Traffic is just an excuse; he left home too late.
That is a good excuse for being absent.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse *"reason"* and *"excuse"*. *Reason* is neutral, but *excuse* often suggests the speaker thinks the explanation is weak. Also, do not say *"do an excuse"*; say *"make an excuse"* or *"give an excuse"*.
Meaning
reason given for a mistake or fault
Collocations
make an excuse
|find an excuse
|use an excuse
|a poor excuse
|a lame excuse
|a good excuse
Synonyms
reason (More general and neutral; does not suggest that the explanation is weak or dishonest.)
Antonyms
admission (Openly accepting that you are at fault instead of trying to defend yourself with a reason.)
Themes
daily life
|work
|school
|communication
|relationships
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A reason you say to explain that you did something wrong or did not do something, often not a good reason.
A reason or explanation that someone gives to defend or explain a mistake, failure, or bad behavior, especially when it is not very strong.
VERB
B1
3
Usage pattern:
to excuse [someone] from [something]
The teacher excused him from the test because he had been sick.
A tanár felmentette a dolgozat alól, mert beteg volt.
If you’ve finished your work, you are excused for the day.
Ha befejezted a munkádat, mára elmehetsz.
She was excused from jury duty after explaining her medical condition.
The manager excused me from the meeting so I could finish the report.
Students may be excused early with written permission from a parent.
Learner examples
The teacher excused me from class today.
A tanár ma elengedett az óráról.
He was excused from work because he was ill.
Mivel beteg volt, felmentették a munka alól.
You are excused; you can go home now.
She asked the coach to excuse her from training.
He was excused from the exam for health reasons.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes say *"excuse to"* instead of *"excuse from"*. Use *excuse [someone] from [activity]*, for example: *"They excused her from the meeting"*. Also, *"You are excused"* is a fixed, often formal phrase, not usually followed by *"from"*.
Meaning
free someone from a duty or activity
Collocations
excuse [someone] from duty
|excuse [someone] from class
|excuse [someone] from work
|be excused early
|you are excused
Synonyms
dismiss (Often more formal; commonly used for sending someone away, especially from a job or a class.)
Antonyms
obligate (To require someone to do something, the opposite of freeing them from the duty.)
Themes
school
|work
|law
|daily_life
|education
Definition
To say that someone does not have to do something, or that they can leave.
To officially or politely allow someone not to do something they are expected to do, or to allow them to leave.
NOUN
B1
4
Usage pattern:
an excuse from [something]
You need a doctor’s excuse if you miss more than three days of school.
Orvosi igazolásra van szükséged, ha három napnál többet hiányzol az iskolából.
The company only accepts written excuses for absences.
A vállalat a hiányzásokra csak írásos igazolást fogad el.
Without a valid excuse, your absence will be marked as unapproved.
She handed the teacher an excuse from her parents explaining the trip.
Employees must provide an excuse from a medical professional for sick leave.
Learner examples
I gave the teacher a doctor’s excuse.
Orvosi igazolást adtam a tanárnak.
You need an excuse from your parents to leave early.
Szülői kikérő kell ahhoz, hogy korábban elmehess.
He stayed home, but he had no excuse from a doctor.
Please bring a written excuse if you miss class.
The school will not accept a phone call as an excuse.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize that *excuse* in this sense often needs a modifier, such as *doctor’s excuse* or *written excuse*. Just saying *"I have an excuse"* may sound like you are giving a weak reason, not official permission.
Meaning
permission to be absent or not do something
Collocations
a doctor's excuse
|a written excuse
|parental excuse
|an excuse from class
|submit an excuse
Synonyms
exemption (More formal; often used for taxes, rules, or official requirements.)
Antonyms
requirement (Something you must do; the opposite of being allowed not to do it.)
Themes
school
|work
|health
|education
|daily_life
Definition
Official permission not to do something you usually must do, often written on a note.
Official or formal permission not to do something you are normally required to do, especially given in writing.
VERB
B2
FORMAL
5
Usage pattern:
to excuse [someone/something] because of [something]
His difficult childhood helps explain, but does not excuse, his violent behavior.
Nehéz gyermekkora segít megmagyarázni, de nem igazolja az erőszakos viselkedését.
Being tired does not excuse shouting at your colleagues.
Az, hogy fáradt vagy, nem igazolja, hogy kiabálsz a kollégáiddal.
Some people tried to excuse the lie as a simple mistake.
No amount of stress can excuse such cruel treatment.
They refused to excuse her actions, despite her apology.
Learner examples
Being busy does not excuse rude words.
Az, hogy elfoglalt vagy, nem igazolja a durva beszédet.
Her age may explain her mistake, but it does not excuse it.
Az életkora megmagyarázhatja a hibáját, de nem igazolja.
Nothing can excuse this kind of crime.
He tried to excuse his behavior with a long story.
We should not excuse violence for any reason.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse this with the more casual *"Excuse me"* sense. Here, *excuse* is more formal and about judging behavior, often used in negative statements like *"Nothing can excuse..."*. Do not say *"excuse from"* in this sense; use an object directly: *"excuse his behavior"*.
Meaning
say a reason makes bad behavior less serious
Collocations
excuse bad behavior
|excuse violence
|excuse a crime
|excuse his actions
|nothing can excuse
Synonyms
justify (Stronger; suggests showing that the action was right or acceptable, not just less bad.)
Antonyms
condemn (To say very strongly that something is wrong or bad, instead of accepting any excuses.)
Themes
emotions
|ethics
|discussion
|communication
|relationships
Definition
To think that a reason makes bad behavior less serious and that you should not blame someone as much.
To say or believe that a person’s behavior is less bad, or not blameworthy, because of a particular reason or circumstance.
NOUN
C1
INFORMAL
6
Usage pattern:
an excuse for a [noun]
This excuse for a hotel room doesn’t even have hot water.
Ez szállodai szobának is gyenge; még meleg víz sincs benne.
He’s a miserable excuse for a manager and never supports his team.
Vezetőnek is siralmas, és soha nem támogatja a csapatát.
What a pathetic excuse for a meal—there’s hardly any food on the plate.
They called it a plan, but it was a sorry excuse for one.
That old car is an excuse for transportation; it breaks down every week.
Learner examples
This is a poor excuse for a sandwich.
Ez szendvicsnek is gyenge.
He is a bad excuse for a friend.
Barátnak is rossz.
What a sorry excuse for a game; it is no fun.
That movie was an excuse for a comedy; nobody laughed.
This old phone is an excuse for a smartphone.
Common mistake:
Learners may not realize this sense is strongly negative and often used in fixed patterns like *"a poor excuse for a [noun]"*. It does not mean a reason here; it means a bad example. Do not say *"an excuse of a teacher"*; instead say *"an excuse for a teacher"*.
Meaning
very poor example of something
Collocations
a poor excuse for a meal
|a miserable excuse for a teacher
|a pathetic excuse for a plan
|a sorry excuse for a leader
Synonyms
shame (Informal; often used in expressions like *"a shame of a..."* in some dialects, but *excuse for* is more common in standard English.)
Antonyms
fine example (A good or excellent instance of something, the opposite of a very poor example.)
Themes
evaluation
|emotions
|core_vocabulary
Definition
A way to say something is a very bad example of its kind.
Used to describe something or someone as a very poor or inadequate example of their type.
Grammar
Dictionary form
excuse
IPA
GB/ɪkskjˈus/
US/ɪkskjˈus/
Syllables & stress
ex - cuse (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (cuse)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: excuse
- Plural: excuse, excuses
Verb
- Base: excuse
- 3rd Person Singular: excuses
- Present Participle: excusing
- Past: excused
Word family
Forms
excuses
noun
excusing
verb
excused
verb
Related words
excusable
adjective
Negative and opposite forms
inexcusable
adjective C1
inexcusably
adverb C1
Expressions
a poor excuse for a [noun]
1/ə pˈʊɹ ɪkskjˈus fɚ ə nˈaʊn/
fixed phrase
informal
very bad example of something
Used to say that something is a very bad example of a thing of that type.
Examples
- This is a poor excuse for a pizza; it hardly has any cheese.
- He’s a poor excuse for a leader; nobody trusts him.
be excused from [something]
1/bˈi ɪkskjˈuzd fɹˈʌm sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
be officially allowed not to do something
To not have to do something because someone in authority says it is OK.
Examples
- Students may be excused from the exam only with a doctor’s note.
- She was excused from military service for health reasons.
excuse me
1/ɪkskjˈuz mˈi/
fixed phrase
polite phrase to get attention or apologize
A polite phrase used to get someone’s attention, to ask someone to move, to pass, or to say sorry for a small thing.
Examples
- Excuse me, could you tell me where the station is?
- Excuse me, you dropped your wallet.
- Excuse me, can I get past you, please?
excuse my French
1/ɪkskjˈuz mˈaɪ fɹˈɛnt͡ʃ/
idiom
informal
apologize jokingly for swearing
A joking phrase you say after using rude or taboo words, to apologize for your language.
Examples
- That was a terrible movie, excuse my French, it was absolutely awful.
- Excuse my French, but this situation is a complete disaster.
excuse the mess
1/ɪkskjˈuz ðə mˈɛs/
fixed phrase
informal
apologize for untidiness
A phrase you say when your home or room is not clean, to ask the visitor not to mind.
Examples
- Come in! Please excuse the mess; the kids were playing here all morning.
- Excuse the mess, I haven’t had time to clean up yet.
if you'll excuse me
1/ˈɪf jˈul ɪkskjˈuz mˈi/
fixed phrase
formal
polite way to say you will leave
A polite phrase used before you leave a person or group, or before you stop talking to do something else.
Examples
- If you’ll excuse me, I need to make a phone call.
- If you’ll excuse me, I have another meeting to attend.
make an excuse
1/mˈeɪk ən ɪkskjˈus/
fixed phrase
invent or give a reason as a defense
To give a reason, especially a weak one, to explain why you did something wrong or did not do something.
Examples
- Don’t make an excuse; just admit you were wrong.
- He made an excuse about feeling sick so he didn’t have to go to the party.
no excuse
1/nˈoʊ ɪkskjˈus/
fixed phrase
no acceptable reason exists
Said when there is no good reason for something bad that someone did.
Examples
- Being tired is no excuse for shouting at your children.
- There’s simply no excuse for that kind of behavior.
there is no excuse for [something]
1/ðˈɛɹ ˈɪz nˈoʊ ɪkskjˈus fɚ sˈʌmθɪŋ/
fixed phrase
say nothing can justify something
Used to say that an action is very bad and no reason can make it OK.
Examples
- There is no excuse for driving while drunk.
- Many people feel there is no excuse for animal cruelty.
use something as an excuse
1/jˈuz sˈʌmθɪŋ ˈæz ən ɪkskjˈus/
fixed phrase
take something as a defensive reason
To say that a particular thing is the reason for your bad action or failure, usually when someone thinks this reason is not good.
Examples
- He used the bad weather as an excuse for being late.
- Don’t use your busy schedule as an excuse to ignore your friends.