extenuate

[ ik-sten-yoo-eyt ]

verb (used with object)

, ex·ten·u·at·ed, ex·ten·u·at·ing.

1. to represent (a fault, offense, etc.) as less serious:

   to extenuate a crime.

2. to serve to make (a fault, offense, etc.) seem less serious.
3. to underestimate, underrate, or make light of:

   Do not extenuate the difficulties we are in.

4. Archaic.
   1. to make thin, lean, or emaciated.
   2. to reduce the consistency or density of.

extenuate

/ ɪkˈstɛnjʊˌeɪt /

verb

1. to represent (an offence, a fault, etc) as being less serious than it appears, as by showing mitigating circumstances
2. to cause to be or appear less serious; mitigate
3. to underestimate or make light of
4. archaic.
   1. to emaciate or weaken
   2. to dilute or thin out

Derived Forms

• exˈtenuatory, adjective
• exˈtenuˌator, noun
• exˌtenuˈation, noun
• exˈtenuˌating, adjective

Other Words From

• ex·tenu·ating adjective
• ex·tenu·ative adjective
• ex·tenu·ator noun
• nonex·tenu·ative adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of extenuate¹

First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin extenuātus, past participle of extenuāre, equivalent to ex- ex- ¹ + tenuāre “to make thin or small”; thin; -ate ¹( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of extenuate¹

C16: from Latin extenuāre to make thin, from tenuis thin, frail

Example Sentences

Nothing can extenuate the horror of acts he spent his adult life trying to avoid.

From Los Angeles Times

"I noticed over the years that with the rise of social media and a drop in cosmetic surgery prices, women across the world have been changing their facial features to look more European as well as getting implants to extenuate their curves and chests," she told the BBC.

From BBC

Grass tends to extenuate Williams’s weapons, especially her howitzer serve and ground strokes.

From The Guardian

Therefore, increased competition will further extenuate the irreproducibility crisis already taking hold in academic science.

From Scientific American

There is no economic analysis that can extenuate bigotry.

From Washington Post