This dissertation examines the metapragmatic conceptualizations, expression, and perceptions of politeness in Syrian Arabic, through the lens of the apology speech act. It shows that politeness has both language-specific and universal characteristics, that it is a discursively expressed co-constructed effort between speaker and hearer, and that perceptions of politeness among native speakers of Syrian Arabic in relation to the apology speech act are tied to contextual factors such as the (in)sincerity of the apology. Based on these findings, it is suggested that politeness facts in Syrian Arabic are best captured by third-wave politeness theories.