Meanings
present singular third person apologises · participle present apologising · participle past apologised · past apologised
- UKnonstandardNon-Oxford British English standard spelling of apologize.
This makes him a rare bird, for most Democrats running for re-election are staying mum or apologising for their votes for reform.
2010 October 14, “Coming back to bite him”, in The Economist3 more examples
The Rector sconced him in the buttery-book, but Webberly “wiped it off, with irreverent and unbeseeming language.” For this, he had to apologise, and go without his commons for three months.
1898, Rev. A. Clark, University of Oxford, College Histories: Lincoln, page 73At the other extreme, couples who are married with children have heavily disguised tiffs. A man saying in a slightly strained way, 'I'm going to turn the compost', is actually saying, 'And that's all you are, Jean, compost!' Of course, what happens is eventually he apologises, they cry, make love, have another child, get overtired and the tiffing continues.
2000 September 30, Guy Browning, “How to... have a tiff”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 03 Jun 2021John Mayer has apologised for using a racist epithet in a recent interview with Playboy magazine, after a number of prominent black musicians aired their disapproval.
2010 February 11, Rosie Swash, “John Mayer apologises after using N-word in Playboy interview”, in The Guardian, archived from the original on 26 Mar 2021
Synonyms & antonyms
verbdefend, explain, clear away, or make excuses for by reasoning
verbacknowledge faults or shortcomings or failing
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂ep
- Proto-Indo-European*h₂epó
- Proto-Hellenic*apó
- Ancient Greekᾰ̓πό (ăpó)
- Ancient Greekᾰ̓πο- (ăpo-)
- Proto-Indo-European*leǵ-
- Proto-Indo-European*lóǵos
- Proto-Hellenic*lógos
- Ancient Greekλόγος (lógos)
- Ancient Greekἀπολογία (apología)
- Ecclesiastical Latinapologia
- Frenchapologie
- Englishapology
- Englishapologise
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
apologise. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/apologise
“apologise.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/apologise. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “apologise,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/apologise.
Source: apologise on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.