excuse
Word family
Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++LDOCE 5++ex·cuse1 /ɪkˈskjuːz/ ●●● S1 verb [transitive] 1 excuse me spoken a) REPEATused when you want to get someone’s attention politely, especially when you want to ask a question 劳驾〔用于礼貌地引起他人注意，尤其是发问时〕 Excuse me, can you tell me the way to the museum please? 劳驾，请问去博物馆怎么走？ b) SORRY/APOLOGIZEused to say that you are sorry for doing something rude or embarrassing 对不起 Oh, excuse me. I didn’t know anyone was here. 噢，对不起，我不知道这里有人。 c) LET/ALLOWused to ask someone politely to move so that you can walk past 借光，借过〔用于礼貌地请求别人让路〕 Excuse me, could I just squeeze past? 借光，请让我过去一下好吗？ d) LEAVE A PLACEused to politely tell someone that you are leaving a place 抱歉〔用于礼貌地表示要离开〕 Excuse me a moment. I’ll be right back. 抱歉，我失陪一会儿，马上就回来。 e) DISAGREEused when you disagree with someone but want to be polite about it 请原谅〔用于礼貌地表示反对〕 SYN I’m sorry Excuse me, but I don’t think that’s what he meant at all. 请原谅，不过我认为他绝对不是这个意思。 f) American EnglishSORRY/APOLOGIZE used to show that you disagree with someone or are very surprised or upset by what they have just said 请原谅，很抱歉〔用于表示不同意某人的意见或对其所说的话感到意外或不快〕 ‘You’re going to pay, right?’ ‘Excuse me?’ “你来付钱，对吗？”“你说什么？” g) especially American EnglishREPEAT used to ask someone to repeat something that they have just said 请再说一遍 SYN pardon me ‘What time is it?’ ‘Excuse me?’ ‘I asked you what time it is.’ “现在几点了？”“对不起，你说什么？”“我问你现在几点了。2 forgive 原谅FORGIVE to forgive someone for doing something that is not seriously wrong, such as being rude or careless 原谅〔某人的小错〕 I’ll excuse you this time, but don’t be late again. 这次我原谅你，但别再迟到了。 Please excuse my bad handwriting. 请原谅，我的字写得不好。excuse somebody for (doing) something Please excuse me for being so late today. 请原谅，我今天来得太晚了。 Smith can be excused for his lack of interest in the course (=his lack of interest is reasonable). 史密斯对这门课不感兴趣是情有可原的。 RegisterIn informal situations, people often say sorry about …, sorry for doing ... or sorry I … rather than asking someone to excuse something: 在非正式的场合中，人们常说 sorry about ...，sorry for doing ... 或sorry I...，而不说请某人excuse somethingSorry about my handwriting. 对不起，我的字写得不好。Sorry for being so late, or Sorry I’m so late. 对不起，我来得太晚了。3 from a duty 免除责任LET/ALLOW to allow someone not to do something that they are supposed to do 免除〔某人〕的责任be excused from (doing) something Can I be excused from swimming today? I have a cold. 我今天能不游泳吗？我感冒了。n Grammar Excuse is usually passive in this meaning.4 explain 解释REASON to be or give a good reason for someone’s careless or offensive behaviour 为…开脱；给…找理由 Nothing can excuse that kind of rudeness. 什么也无法为那种粗鲁行为开脱。5 from a place 离开某处LET/ALLOW to give someone permission to leave a place 准许…离开6 excuse yourself to say politely that you need to leave a place 礼貌地告辞7. excuse me (for living)! spokenOFFEND used to show that you are annoyed when someone has told you that you have done something wrong 实在对不住了！→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpus
excuse• Penalties are negotiable, so always try to get penalty charges excused.• But it is worse it's also a history of mechanical idealism excusing criminal stupidity.• Kinney asked to be excused from his duties on the board.• Can I be excused from swimming today? I've got a cold.• She excuses herself a moment to prepare a tray of little snacks they urge her not to trouble herself to prepare.• 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.• I'll try to get them to excuse me from the meeting.• My accident and stunned expression seemed to excuse me, however.• I got the hiccups, excuse me.• He doesn't excuse mistakes, he simply won't allow them.• I didn't realize this was a formal party, so I hope you can excuse my appearance.• Excuse my brother if he talks too much, he's rather excitable.• I'm sorry, but that explanation doesn't excuse what he did.excuse somebody for (doing) something• No excuses were offered for a lacklustre performance on Saturday.• Then he excused himself for a meeting.• Kring excused himself for a moment.• Would you excuse me for a moment?• He himself had drunk one quick light beer before excusing himself for an early night.• You'll have to excuse me for being late - my car broke down.• The defense excused him for just cause.• People came and went and were excused, sometimes for obvious reasons, sometimes not.be excused from (doing) something• Please excuse Sherry from gym class today. She has had the flu.• He glanced over at me and then he excused himself from his conversation.• He has excused himself from a dinner meeting to return her call.• I excused myself from Mr Cardinal and moved towards the doors.• I learned that not knowing how to do a job would not excuse me from that job.• Such a model attempts to encourage the unbeliever to excuse the believer from the task of justifying theism.• We excuse you aides from most of your housekeeping duties to enable you to see to the patients.• She was sitting at the mirror in her room, having excused herself from her cousins' chatter minutes before.• Answering machine winks cheerfully, but it is only Mrs Body excusing herself from work tomorrow because of the funeral.ex·cuse2 /ɪkˈskjuːs/ ●●● S3 noun [countable] 1 REASONa reason that you give to explain careless or offensive behaviour 〔 辩解的〕理由2 REASONa reason that you invent to explain an action and to hide your real intentions 虚假的理由；托词；借口3 there is no excuse for something used to say that someone’s behaviour is too bad to be explained or accepted 某事怎么说都不对4 make your excuses EXPLAINto explain why you are not able to do something 解释为何不能做某事5 a poor/rotten etc excuse for something BAD ATused when you think someone or something is very bad 极差的…；极不称职的…6. American EnglishREASON a note written by your doctor or one of your parents saying that you were ill on a particular day 病假条 SYN British English sick note COLLOCATIONS – Meanings 1 & 2verbsmake up/think up/invent an excuse 编造借口I made up some excuse about my car breaking down. 我编了个借口，说我的车抛锚了。nWe’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) 为某人/某事找借口His mother was always making excuses for her son's behaviour. 他妈妈总是为儿子的行为找借口。use something as an excuse 拿某事物当借口She never complained or used her illness as an excuse. 她从不抱怨，也不拿自己的病当借口。look for an excuse 找借口I began to look for excuses to avoid seeing him. 我开始寻找种种借口，避免和他见面。give an excuse 给出理由I'll have to give my boss some kind of excuse. 我总得给我老板一个理由。believe/accept an excuse 相信/接受理由She didn’t believe his excuse for one minute. 她压根儿不相信他的借口。have an excuse 有理由Companies have no excuse for breaking the law. 公司没有任何理由违反法律。adjectivesa good excuse 好借口A sunny day is a good excuse to go to the beach. 天气晴朗就应该到海滩去。na 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) 可以接受的/说得过去的理由If your train was cancelled, that is a perfectly reasonable excuse. 要是你那班火车被取消了，那可就是个再好不过的理由。a legitimate/valid excuse (=one that is true and that other people cannot criticize) 正当/合理的理由He didn’t have a legitimate excuse for being late. 他迟到了，没有正当的理由。the perfect excuse 极好的借口The phone call gave me the perfect excuse to leave. 这个电话正好让我有借口离开。a feeble/flimsy/weak excuse (=one that is difficult to believe) 无力/不可信的借口Joe muttered some feeble excuse about having a headache. 乔嘟嘟哝哝地搪塞说他头痛。a pathetic/lame excuse (=very weak) 牵强的/站不住脚的借口nThat’s the most pathetic excuse I’ve ever heard.the usual excuse/the same old excuse 惯常的借口/老一套借口nHe made the usual excuses for not coming.nWhenever the trains are late, it's always the same old excuse.a convenient excuse 现成的借口nThe rioting provided the government with a convenient excuse not to hold an election.phrasesuse every excuse in the book (=use every possible excuse) 千方百计找借口He used every excuse in the book to avoid seeing the doctor. 他千方百计找借口不去看病。at the slightest excuse (=for any reason, however unimportant) 以很小的事为借口She comes to our house at the slightest excuse. 她动不动就借故到我们家来。Examples from the Corpus
excuse• We shall use his perceived activities as an excuse for not growing up.• But Symington and his allies used it as an excuse to further postpone what is inevitable and right.• There were complaints by black youths of police harassment, the sus laws merely being used as an excuse for this.• He said his car had broken down, but it was just an excuse for coming home late.• Yet, after three years, it also sounded like an excuse.• I had to rush the decorators through, but I knew exactly what I wanted and I wouldn't take any excuse.• That is the most feeble excuse for failing a test that I have ever heard.• He doesn't make excuses when he gets something wrong.• D'Arquebus Senior's pedantic excuses made no sense.• Oh shut up Bill, I'm tired of listening to your excuses.excuse for (doing) something• My patients often use that as an excuse for chocolate binges, shopping binges, alcohol, and affairs.• Deprivation must not be an excuse for everything.• Looking for an excuse for a vacation, I picked the keys.• John Major seems to sympathise, but the voters can be excused for not yet noticing.• There were to be no excuses for him returning.• There are so many, many deferred projects here that I have no excuse for now.• The only excuse for the House of Lords is that it exists.• Mr Strine also gives readers excuses for his losses, such as injuries to key players or even the weather.excuse to do something• But Symington and his allies used it as an excuse to further postpone what is inevitable and right.• Neil Fraser looked tired and on edge, his wife was subdued and made an excuse to leave them early.• His ouster furnished Nixon with an excuse to send troops into Cambodiawhich now turned into a new battlefield.• I think it a good excuse to get away from his family.• How could she make excuses to Uncle Willi?• You imagine this war gives you the excuse to disobey me and do exactly as you wish.Origin excuse1 (1400-1500) Old French excuser, from Latin excusare, from causa “cause, explanation”ex·cuse1 verb →n GRAMMAR1 →n GRAMMAR2
→REGISTER1ex·cuse2 noun →COLLOCATIONS1LDOCE OnlineChineseSyllable
→REGISTER1ex·cuse2 noun →COLLOCATIONS1LDOCE OnlineChineseSyllable
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excuse
ex‧cuse1 S1 /ɪkˈskjuːz/ 
verb [transitive]
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.’
2. FORGIVE 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).
REGISTER
In 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.
3. FROM A DUTY [usually passive] to allow someone not to do something that they are supposed to do
excuse somebody from (doing) something
Can I be excused from swimming today? I have a cold.
4. EXPLAIN to be or give a good reason for someone’s careless or offensive behaviour:
Nothing can excuse that kind of rudeness.
5. FROM A PLACE to give someone permission to leave a place:
May I please be excused from the table?
6. excuse yourself to say politely that you need to leave a place:
Richard excused himself and went to his room.
7. excuse me (for living)! spoken used when someone has offended you or told you that you have done something wrong
ex‧cuse2 S3 /ɪkˈskjuːs/ noun [countable]1. a reason that you give to explain careless or offensive behaviour
excuse for (doing) something
What’s your excuse for being late this time?
I’m tired of listening to his excuses.
2. a reason that you invent to explain an action and to hide your real intentions
excuse to do something
I need an excuse to call her.
excuse for
The conference is just an excuse for a holiday in New York.
3. there 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.
4. make your excuses to explain why you are not able to do something:
Please make my excuses at the meeting tomorrow.
5. a 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?
6. American 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 English
■ verbs
▪make 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.
■ adjectives
▪a 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.
■ phrases
▪use 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.
■ a reason that does not seem believable
▪excuse 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)
▪pretext 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.
| I |
verb [transitive] Date: 1400-1500
Language: Old French
Origin: excuser, from Latin excusare, from causa 'cause, explanation'
1. excuse me spokenLanguage: Old French
Origin: excuser, from Latin excusare, from causa 'cause, explanation'
a. used when you want to get someone’s attention politely, especially when you want to ask a question:
b. used to say that you are sorry for doing something rude or embarrassing:
c. used to ask someone politely to move so that you can walk past:
d. used to politely tell someone that you are leaving a place:
e. used when you disagree with someone but want to be polite about it
SYN I’m sorry:
f. American English used to show that you disagree with someone or are very surprised or upset by what they have just said:
g. especially American English used to ask someone to repeat something that they have just said
SYN pardon me:
2. FORGIVE to forgive someone for doing something that is not seriously wrong, such as being rude or careless:
excuse somebody for (doing) something
REGISTER
In informal situations, people often say sorry about …, sorry for doing ... or sorry I … rather than asking someone to excuse something:
▪
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3. FROM A DUTY [usually passive] to allow someone not to do something that they are supposed to do
excuse somebody from (doing) something
4. EXPLAIN to be or give a good reason for someone’s careless or offensive behaviour:
5. FROM A PLACE to give someone permission to leave a place:
6. excuse yourself to say politely that you need to leave a place:
7. excuse me (for living)! spoken used when someone has offended you or told you that you have done something wrong
| II |
noun [countable]1. a reason that you give to explain careless or offensive behaviourexcuse for (doing) something
2. a reason that you invent to explain an action and to hide your real intentions
excuse to do something
excuse for
3. there is no excuse for something used to say that someone’s behaviour is too bad to be explained or accepted:
4. make your excuses to explain why you are not able to do something:
5. a poor/rotten etc excuse for something used when you think someone or something is very bad:
6. American 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 English
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reason a cause or an explanation for sth that has happened or that sb has done; a fact that makes it right or fair to do sth 指某事发生或做某事的原因、理由、解释、道理 ：◆ He said no but he didn't give a reason. 他说不行，但没有说明原因。 explanation a statement, fact or situation that tells you why sth has happened; a reason given for sth 指解释、说明、阐述 ：◆ The most likely explanation is that his plane was delayed. 最可能的解释是他的飞机晚点了。 ◆ She left the room abruptly without explanation. 她未作解释就突然离开了房间。 grounds ( a good or true reason for saying, doing or believing sthrather
指说、做或相信某事的充分理由、根据 ：◆ You have no grounds for complaint. 你没有理由抱怨。 basis ( the reason why people take a particular actionrather
指原因、缘由 ：◆ On what basis will this decision be made? 将基于何种原因作出这一决定呢？ excuse a reason, either true or invented, that you give to explain or defend your behaviour; a good reason that you give for doing sth that you want to do for other reasons 指为自己行为所作的辩护、借口、理由 ：◆ Late again! What's your excuse this time? 又迟到了！你这次有什么借口？ ◆ It gave me an excuse to take the car. 这使我有理由开车去了。 motive a reason that explains sb's behaviour 指动机、原因 ：◆ There seemed to be no motive for the murder. 这起谋杀案看不出有什么动机。 justification ( a good reason why sth exists or is donerather
指事物存在或做某事的正当理由 ：◆ I can see no possible justification for any further tax increases. 我看不出还能提出什么理由来加税了。
grounds or justification? 用 grounds 还是 justification？
pretext ( a false reason that you give for doing sth, usually sth bad, in order to hide the real reasonrather
指为掩盖做某事（通常为不好的事）的真正理由而找的借口、托辞 ：◆ He left the party early on the pretext of having to work. 他借口有事要处理，早早离开了聚会。
Patterns
(a/an) reason/explanation/grounds/basis/excuse/motive/justification/pretext for sththe reason/motive behind sthon the grounds/basis/pretextof/that… (a) good/valid reason/explanation/grounds/excuse/motive/justification
especially