excuse
Excuse can be a noun or a verb. When it is a noun, it is pronounced /ɪk^skjuːs/. When it is a verb, it is pronounced /ɪk^skjuːz/.
used as a noun
An excuse is a reason that you give in order to explain why something has been done, has not been done, or will not be done.
They are trying to find excuses for their failures.
There is no excuse for this happening in a new building.
You say that someone makes an excuse.
I made an excuse and left the meeting early.
You don't have to make any excuses to me.
Be careful
Don't say that someone ‘says an excuse’.
Don't say that someone ‘says an excuse’.
used as a verb
If someone is excused from doing something, they are officially allowed not to do it.
She is usually excused from her duties during the school holidays.
You can apply to be excused payment if your earnings are low.
In conversation, if you say you must excuse yourself or if you ask someone to excuse you, you are saying politely that you must leave.
Now I must excuse myself.
You'll have to excuse me; I ought to be saying goodnight.
If you excuse someone for something wrong they have done, you decide not to criticize them or be angry with them.
Such delays cannot be excused.
Please excuse my bad handwriting.
‘forgive’
Forgive is used in a similar way. However, when you say that you forgive someone, you usually mean that you have already been angry with them or argued with them. You cannot use ‘excuse’ in this way.
I forgave him everything.
‘excuse me’
People often say Excuse me as a way of politely apologizing for something they are going to do. For example, you can say Excuse me when you are interrupting someone, when you want to get their attention, or when you want to get past them.
Excuse me, but are you Mr Hess?
‘apologize’
However, when people say they are sorry for something they have done, don't say that they ‘excuse themselves’. You say that they apologize. If you want to say that you are sorry for something you have done, you say Sorry, I'm sorry, or I apologize.
She apologized for being so unkind.
‘You’re late.' – ‘Sorry.’
➜ See apologize