extenuate

• POS: Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: ex=ten=u=ate

CIDE DICTIONARY

extenuate, v. t. [L. extenuatus, p. p. of extenuare to make thin, loosen, weaken; ex out + tenuare to make thin, tenuis thin. See Tenuity.].

•  To make thin or slender; to draw out so as to lessen the thickness.  [1913 Webster]

  "His body behind the head becomes broad, from whence it is again extenuated all the way to the tail."  [1913 Webster]
•  To lessen; to palliate; to lessen or weaken the force of; to diminish the conception of, as crime, guilt, faults, ills, accusations, etc.; -- opposed to aggravate.  [1913 Webster]

  "But fortune there extenuates the crime."  [1913 Webster]

  "Let us extenuate, conceal, adorn the unpleasing reality."  [1913 Webster]
•  To lower or degrade; to detract from.  [1913 Webster]

  "Who can extenuate thee?"

Syn. -- To palliate; to mitigate. See Palliate.

extenuate, v. i. 

 To become thinner; to make excuses; to advance palliating considerations.  Burke.  [1913 Webster]

extenuate, a. [L. extenuatus, p. p.].

 Thin; slender.  Huloet.  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

extenuate, v.tr. (often as extenuating adj.) lessen the seeming seriousness of (guilt or an offence) by reference to some mitigating factor.

Derivative

extenuatingly adv. extenuation n. extenuatory adj.

Etymology

L extenuare extenuat- (as EX-(1), tenuis thin)

THESAURUS

extenuate

abate, allay, alleviate, allow for, apologize, assuage, attemper, attenuate, bank the fire, bate, blunt, chasten, color, constrain, control, cramp, cripple, damp, dampen, de-emphasize, deaden, debilitate, devitalize, dilute, diminish, downplay, dull, ease, enervate, enfeeble, eviscerate, exhaust, explain, gloss over, gruel, ignore, justify, keep within bounds, lay, lay low, lenify, lessen, lighten, make allowance for, mince, mitigate, moderate, modulate, obtund, palliate, play down, qualify, rationalize, rattle, reduce, reduce the temperature, remit, restrain, sap, shake, shake up, slacken, slow down, slur over, smother, sober, sober down, soft-pedal, soften, soften up, stifle, subdue, sugarcoat, suppress, tame, temper, tone down, tune down, unbrace, undermine, underplay, unman, unnerve, unstrengthen, unstring, varnish, veneer, water down, weaken, white, whiten, whitewash

ROGET THESAURUS

extenuate

Decrease

VB decrease, diminish, lessen, abridge, shrink, drop off, fall off, tail off, fall away, waste, wear, wane, ebb, decline, descend, subside, melt away, die away, retire into the shade, hide its diminished head, fall to a low ebb, run low, languish, decay, crumble, bate, abate, dequantitate, discount, depreciate, extenuate, lower, weaken, attenuate, fritter away, mitigate, dwarf, throw into the shade, reduce, shorten, subtract.

Weakness

VB be weak, drop, crumble, give way, totter, tremble, shake, halt, limp, fade, languish, decline, flag, fail, have one leg in the grave, render weak, weaken, enfeeble, debilitate, shake, deprive of strength, relax, enervate, eviscerate, unbrace, unnerve, cripple, unman, cramp, reduce, sprain, strain, blunt the edge of, dilute, impoverish, decimate, extenuate, reduce in strength, reduce the strength of, mettre de l'eau dans son vin.

Vindication

N vindication, justification, warrant, exoneration, exculpation, acquittal, whitewashing, extenuation, palliation, palliative, softening, mitigation, reply, defense, recrimination, apology, gloss, varnish, plea, salvo, excuse, extenuating circumstances, allowance, allowance to be made, locus paenitentiae, apologist, vindicator, justifier, defendant, justifiable charge, true bill, v, justify, warrant, be an excuse for, lend a color, furnish a handle, vindicate, exculpate, disculpate, acquit, clear, set right, exonerate, whitewash, clear the skirts of, extenuate, palliate, excuse, soften, apologize, varnish, slur, gloze, put a gloss, put a good face upon, mince, gloss over, bolster up, help a lame dog over a stile, advocate, defend, plead one's cause, stand up for, stick up for, speak up for, contend for, speak for, bear out, keep in countenance, support, plead, say in defense, plead ignorance, confess and avoid, propugn, put in a good word for, take the will for the deed, make allowance for, give credit for, do justice to, give one his due, give the Devil his due, make good, prove the truth of, prove one's case, be justified by the event, vindicated, vindicating, exculpatory, apologetic, excusable, defensible, pardonable, venial, veniable, specious, plausible, justifiable, honi sot qui mal y pense, good wine needs no bush.