apologize

apologize — verb

1. to admit to someone that you feel sorry for upsetting them or causing them diffi

1.verbintransitiveA2
Definition

to admit to someone that you feel sorry for upsetting them or causing them difficulty

Example

Selim apologized to his neighbor for playing loud music late at night.

apologized to [person] for [reason/action]

The bus driver apologized to the passengers for the delay caused by the storm.

Common collocations
  • apologize sincerely
  • apologize profusely
  • apologize publicly
  • apologize for a mistake
  • apologize for the inconvenience
  • apologize for the delay
Synonyms
  • say sorry

    informal, the most common everyday way to express this idea in conversation

  • express regret

    formal; common in written apologies, such as letters from companies or officials

  • offer an apology

    formal; emphasizes the act of delivering an apology, often in a planned situation

Antonyms
  • blame

    the opposite direction of responsibility — pointing fault at someone else instead of accepting it

  • accuse

    claiming that someone else did something wrong, rather than admitting your own mistake

Grammar Patterns

apologize + to + person

apologize + for + reason

apologize + to + person + for + reason

Usage Note

The -ing form 'apologizing' is used as a present participle (e.g., 'She is apologizing to the group right now') or a gerund (e.g., 'Apologizing is not always easy, but it helps to repair a relationship'). 'Apologize' is intransitive — it never takes a direct object; you must use 'to' for the person and 'for' for the reason.

Common Mistakes

I apologized him for my mistake.
I apologized to him for my mistake.
'apologize' is intransitive; you must add 'to' before the person.
She made an apologize.
She made an apology.
the noun form is 'apology', not 'apologize'.
He apologized about being late.
He apologized for being late.
use 'for', not 'about', to introduce the reason.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

'Say sorry' is the most informal and direct choice — you use it in everyday conversation after small mistakes, such as bumping into someone or arriving a few minutes late. 'Express regret' sounds more formal and appears in official statements, such as a company's letter about a product problem, where the writer wants to sound serious without being too personal. 'Offer an apology' is also formal and focuses on the act of delivering the apology, often when someone makes a planned statement, like a politician offering an apology at a press conference. For most daily situations, 'say sorry' or 'apologize' are the simplest and most natural choices.

say sorryexpress regretoffer an apology

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • make an apology
  • offer an apology
  • accept an apology

Prepositions

Etymology

GreekLatinFrenchEnglish

The word 'apologize' comes from the Greek 'apologia' (ἀπολογία), meaning 'a speech in defense'. It was made up of 'apo-' (away from) and 'logos' (speech). In ancient Greece, an apologia was the formal defense a person gave in court. The word passed through Latin and then into French before entering English. The meaning changed over time: in early English it still meant 'to defend' or 'to justify', but by the 1600s it had shifted to its modern meaning of expressing regret, perhaps because a defense often included admitting fault.