ex·cuse

noun

/ɪkˈskjuːs/

a reason, either true or invented, that you give to explain or defend your behaviour借口；理由；辩解
- Late again! What's your excuse this time?又迟到了！你这次有什么借口？
- I tried desperately to think of a good excuse.我绞尽脑汁想找个好理由。
- a lame/feeble/poor/flimsy excuse蹩脚/软弱/可怜/站不住脚的借口
- a reasonable/valid excuse合理/有效的借口
- I know I missed the deadline, but I have an excuse.我知道我没赶上截止日期，但我是有理由的。
- excuse for something There's no excuse for such behaviour.这种行为说不过去。
- excuse for doing something His excuse for forgetting her birthday was that he had lost his diary.他辩解说因为日记本丢了才忘了她的生日。
- You don't have to make excuses for her (= try to think of reasons for her behaviour).你不必为她辩解了。
- It's late. I'm afraid I'll have to make my excuses (= say I'm sorry, give my reasons and leave).时间不早了。很抱歉，我得告辞了。
Synonyms reason
reasonexplanation ▪ grounds ▪ basis ▪ excuse ▪ motive ▪ justification ▪ pretextThese are all words for a cause or an explanation for something that has happened or that somebody has done.
reason a cause or an explanation for something that has happened or that somebody has done; a fact that makes it right or fair to do something:
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 something has happened; a reason given for something:
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 (rather formal) a good or true reason for saying, doing or believing something:
You have no grounds for complaint.你没有理由抱怨。
basis (rather formal) the reason why people take a particular action:
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 something that you want to do for other reasons:
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。
motive a reason that explains somebody’s behaviour:
There seemed to be no motive for the murder.这起谋杀案看不出有什么动机。
justification (rather formal) a good reason why something exists or is done:
I can see no possible justification for any further tax increases.我看不出还能提出什么理由再加税。
grounds or justification?Justification is used to talk about finding or understanding reasons for actions, or trying to explain why it is a good idea to do something. It is often used with words like little, no, some, every, without, and not any. Grounds is used more for talking about reasons that already exist, or that have already been decided, for example by law: moral/economic grounds.
pretext (rather formal) a false reason that you give for doing something, usually something bad, in order to hide the real reason:
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 something
- the reason/motive behind something
- on the grounds/basis/pretext of/that…
- (a) good/valid reason/explanation/grounds/excuse/motive/justification
Extra Examples
- I don't want to hear any more excuses.我不想再听任何借口。
- Justin mumbled some excuse and left.贾斯廷嘟囔了个借口就离开了。
- What possible excuse could he have?他还能有什么借口？
- He became moody and unreasonable, flailing out at Katherine at the slightest excuse.他变得喜怒无常、不可理喻，为点儿鸡毛蒜皮的小事就殴打凯瑟琳。
- He had no excuse for being so late.他对自己迟到这么久找不出借口。
- Don't let perfectionism become an excuse for never getting started.不要借口追求完美而从不行动。
- He's run out of excuses for not cleaning his room.他再也找不到不清扫房间的理由了。
- She made some feeble excuse about the car having broken down.她编造了汽车抛锚这么个蹩脚的理由。
- She seized on every excuse to avoid doing the work.为避免做这件事她抓住每一个借口。
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- perfect
- wonderful
- excellent
- …
verb + excuse
- have
- give
- make
- …
preposition
- excuse about
- excuse for
phrases
- there is no excuse for…
a good reason that you give for doing something that you want to do for other reasons（正当的）理由，借口
- Eating ice cream for a sore throat isn't really a cure, but I like it, so any excuse!吃冰淇淋治疗喉咙痛并不能真正治愈，但我喜欢它，所以有任何借口！
- excuse for something It's just an excuse for a party.这只是聚会的一个借口。
- excuse for doing something Any occasion is a good excuse for having a barbecue.任何场合都是烧烤的好借口。
- excuse to do something It gave me an excuse to take the car.这使我有理由开车去。
- He tried unsuccessfully to find an excuse to leave.他试图找借口离开，但没有成功。
- The demonstration was used as an excuse to impose martial law.示威被用作实施戒严的借口。
Extra Examples
- She had to find a valid excuse for leaving the room.她需要找一个合理的借口离开房间。
- The children provided a convenient excuse for missing the party.孩子们为没有参加聚会随便找了个借口。
- Her mother's illness provided her with an excuse to stay at home.她母亲生病使她有借口待在家里。
- The political crisis is being used as an excuse to dock people's pay.政治危机被用作扣减工资的借口。
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- perfect
- wonderful
- excellent
- …
verb + excuse
- have
- give
- make
- …
preposition
- excuse about
- excuse for
phrases
- there is no excuse for…
a very bad example of something拙劣样品；蹩脚货
- Why get involved with that pathetic excuse for a human being?为什么要与那个讨厌的家伙混在一起？
Extra Examples
- a sorry excuse for a man差劲的男人
- She's a pitiful excuse for an actress.她是一个蹩脚的女演员。
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- lousy
- miserable
- pathetic
- …
preposition
- excuse for
(North American English) a note written by a parent or doctor to explain why a student cannot go to school or somebody cannot go to work假条（家长或医生写明请假原因）

Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French escuser (verb), from Latin excusare ‘to free from blame’, from ex- ‘out’ + causa ‘accusation, cause’.

ex·cuse

verb

/ɪkˈskjuːz/

Verb Forms

present simple I / you / we / they excuse	/ɪkˈskjuːz/ /ɪkˈskjuːz/
he / she / it excuses	/ɪkˈskjuːzɪz/ /ɪkˈskjuːzɪz/
past simple excused	/ɪkˈskjuːzd/ /ɪkˈskjuːzd/
past participle excused	/ɪkˈskjuːzd/ /ɪkˈskjuːzd/
-ing form excusing	/ɪkˈskjuːzɪŋ/ /ɪkˈskjuːzɪŋ/

Idioms

to forgive somebody for something that they have done, for example not being polite or making a small mistake原谅；宽恕
- excuse something Please excuse the mess.这里凌乱不堪，请见谅。
- excuse somebody You must excuse my father—he's not always that rude.你一定要原谅我父亲，他并不总是那样粗鲁无礼。
- excuse somebody for something She had been excused for her actions.她的行为已得到原谅。
- excuse somebody for doing something I hope you'll excuse me for being so late.我来得这么晚，希望你能原谅。
- (British English) You might be excused for thinking that Ben is in charge (= he is not, but it is an easy mistake to make).你误以为是本在负责，这是情有可原的。
- excuse somebody doing something Excuse me interrupting you.对不起，打扰你一下。
- (formal) Excuse my interrupting you.对不起，打扰你一下。
- If you'll excuse me pointing this out, I think you've made a mistake here.如果您能原谅我指出这一点，我认为您在这里犯了一个错误。
to make your or somebody else’s behaviour seem less offensive by finding reasons for it为…辩解（或找理由） synonym justify
- excuse something Nothing can excuse such rudeness.如此粗鲁无礼不能原谅。
- excuse something as something He tried to excuse his behaviour as ‘a bit of harmless fun’.他试图为自己的行为辩解，说那是“无伤大雅的小玩笑”。
- excuse somebody/yourself I could try to excuse myself, but why bother?我可以设法为自己辩解，但何必找那麻烦呢？
- excuse somebody/yourself for something Should her previous good actions excuse her for the terrible things she is doing now?她以前的善行是否应该为她现在所做的可怕的事情辩护？
- excuse somebody/yourself for doing something He excused himself for being late by explaining that his flight had been delayed.他解释说他的航班延误了，以此为自己迟到找借口。
Extra Examples
- I know she had a traumatic experience, but that doesn't excuse her.我知道她有过痛苦的经历，但这并不能成为她的借口。
- That did not excuse him for not carrying on with the matter.这并不能成为他不继续处理此事的借口。
- She makes no attempt to excuse herself for her deeds.她并没有试图为自己的行为找借口。
excuse somebody/yourself (from something) to allow somebody to leave; to say in a polite way that you are leaving准许…离开；请求准予离开；（离开前）请求原谅
- Now if you'll excuse me, I'm a very busy man.如果可以，我先行一步了。我很忙。
- She excused herself and left the meeting early.她打了声招呼就提前离开了会场。
[usually passive] to allow somebody to not do something that they should normally do同意免除；同意免做
- be excused (from something/from doing something) She was excused from giving evidence because of her age.她因年龄关系获准免于作证。
- be excused something He was excused military service because of poor health.他因身体不好而免服兵役。

Word OriginMiddle English: from Old French escuser (verb), from Latin excusare ‘to free from blame’, from ex- ‘out’ + causa ‘accusation, cause’.

Idioms

excuse/pardon my French

(informal) used to say that you are sorry for swearing请原谅我说脏话了；不好意思，我骂人了

excuse me

used to politely get somebody’s attention, especially somebody you do not know（引起尤其是陌生人的注意）劳驾，请原谅
- Excuse me, is this the way to the station?劳驾，这是去车站的路吗？
used to politely ask somebody to move so that you can get past them（客气地请人让路）对不起，劳驾，借光
- Excuse me, could you let me through?对不起，能让我过去吗？
used to say that you are sorry for interrupting somebody or behaving in a slightly rude way（因打扰别人或失礼表示歉意）对不起，请原谅
- Guy sneezed loudly. ‘Excuse me,’ he said.盖伊大声打了个喷嚏，然后说了声“对不起”。
used to disagree politely with somebody（婉转地表示不赞成）对不起，请原谅，很抱歉
- Excuse me, but I don't think that's true.很抱歉，我认为这不是真的。
Topics Opinion and argumenta1
used to politely tell somebody that you are going to leave or talk to somebody else（婉转地表示要离开或要与另外的人讲话）对不起，请原谅，抱歉
- ‘Excuse me for a moment,’ she said and left the room.她说了声“很抱歉，失陪一会儿”就离开了房间。
(especially North American English) used to say sorry for pushing somebody or doing something wrong（因挤着别人或做错了事表示歉意）对不起，请原谅，很抱歉
- Oh, excuse me. I didn't see you there.啊呀，对不起，我没看到你在那里。
excuse me?
(North American English) used when you did not hear what somebody said and you want them to repeat it（没听清楚，请对方再说一遍）对不起，请再说一遍