1. extenuate - Adjective
2. extenuate - Verb
To make thin or slender; to draw out so as to lessen the thickness.
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.
To lower or degrade; to detract from.
To become thinner; to make excuses; to advance palliating considerations.
Thin; slender.
Source: Webster's dictionaryThere is but one means to extenuate the effects of enemy fire: it is to develop a more violent fire oneself. Ferdinand Foch
Selfishness is one of the principal fruits of the corruption of human nature; and it is obvious that selfishness disposes us to over-rate our good qualities, and to overlook or extenuate our defects. William Wilberforce
It is vain, sir, to extenuate the matter. Gentlemen may cry, Peace, peace! But there is no peace. Patrick Henry
I think a good deal may be said to extenuate the fault of bad Poets. Alexander Pope
The circumstances extenuate the crime Source: Internet