Meaning & use
apologized
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“apologized” is a form of “apologize”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
verbintransitive
Past tense and past participle of apologize: told someone you are sorry for something you did wrong.
Grammar: No object; it is followed by to someone and for something: she apologized to him for the delay.
Patterns
- apologized to someone
- apologized for something
- apologized for doing something
He apologized to his neighbor for the loud music.
She apologized for being late to the meeting.
The airline apologized for the cancellation and offered refunds.
Word forms
| base form | apologize |
|---|---|
| third person singular | apologizes |
| past participle | apologized |
| -ing form | apologizing |
Common combinations
- apologized profusely
- The waiter apologized profusely for the mistake.
- apologized publicly
- The senator apologized publicly for his remarks.
- apologized to someone
- I apologized to my sister right away.
- apologized for the delay
- The driver apologized for the delay.
- immediately apologized
- He immediately apologized when he realized his error.
Synonyms and how they differ
- said sorry
- Said sorry is more casual and can be a quick spoken phrase, while apologized suggests a more deliberate or formal statement.
- begged forgiveness
- Begged forgiveness is stronger and more emotional, implying the person felt serious guilt.
- expressed regret
- Expressed regret is more formal and may avoid admitting fault, whereas apologized usually accepts some blame.
Word family
- apology noun
- a statement saying you are sorry
- apologetic adjective
- showing that you are sorry
- apologetically adverb
- in a way that shows regret
- unapologetic adjective
- not feeling or showing any regret
Commonly confused: apologized or apologised?
apologized vs apologised
Apologised is the British spelling of the same word; apologized is the American form.
Practice
The manager ____ the customer for the long wait.
Choose one answer.
Apologize needs 'to' before the person you speak to. 'Apologized for' needs a different object, and 'at' is not used.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “apologized”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.