APOLOGIZE

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

 Dictionary entry overview: What does apologize mean? 

• APOLOGIZE (verb)
  The verb APOLOGIZE has 2 senses:

1. acknowledge faults or shortcomings or failing

2. defend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by reasoning

  Familiarity information: APOLOGIZE used as a verb is rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• APOLOGIZE (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they apologize    ... he / she / it apologizes   
Past simple: apologized   
Past participle: apologized   
-ing form: apologizing   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Acknowledge faults or shortcomings or failing

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

apologise; apologize

Context example:

He apologized for the many typoes

"Apologize" entails doing...:

acknowledge; admit (declare to be true or admit the existence or reality or truth of)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s
Somebody ----s that CLAUSE
Somebody ----s to somebody

Derivation:

apology (an expression of regret at having caused trouble for someone)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Defend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by reasoning

Classified under:

Verbs of telling, asking, ordering, singing

Synonyms:

apologise; apologize; excuse; rationalise; rationalize

Context example:

he rationalized his lack of success

Hypernyms (to "apologize" is one way to...):

defend; fend for; support (argue or speak in defense of)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "apologize"):

color; colour; gloss (give a deceptive explanation or excuse for)

plead (offer as an excuse or plea)

extenuate; mitigate; palliate (lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

 Context examples 

She boxed the ears of the Silvas who crowded about the visitors on the tiny front porch, and in more than usual atrocious English tried to apologize for her appearance.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

We must apologize for having intruded upon you, Professor Coram, and I promise that we won’t disturb you until after lunch.

(The Return of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

We apologize for this error in our 2020 calendar.

(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)

It was only last week, when he was dining at Lord Elgin’s, that he apologized to the company for the shocking bad cooking.

(Rodney Stone, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

It is possible that rejectors may feel better about themselves if they apologize.

(Sometimes You Shouldn't Say Sorry, The Titi Tudorancea Bulletin)

He was so extremely conciliatory in his manner that he seemed to apologize to the very newspaper for taking the liberty of reading it.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

I will not apologize therefore for bringing it forward again.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

Then I apologize to you in advance.

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Catherine, humbled and ashamed, was going to apologize for her question, but he prevented her by saying, Novels are all so full of nonsense and stuff; there has not been a tolerably decent one come out since Tom Jones, except The Monk; I read that t'other day; but as for all the others, they are the stupidest things in creation.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

He had been in Bath about a fortnight; (he had passed through Bath in November, in his way to London, when the intelligence of Sir Walter's being settled there had of course reached him, though only twenty-four hours in the place, but he had not been able to avail himself of it;) but he had now been a fortnight in Bath, and his first object on arriving, had been to leave his card in Camden Place, following it up by such assiduous endeavours to meet, and when they did meet, by such great openness of conduct, such readiness to apologize for the past, such solicitude to be received as a relation again, that their former good understanding was completely re-established.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)