extenuate

Speech parts

1. extenuate - Adjective

2. extenuate - Verb

Meaning

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 dictionary

Synonyms

mitigate palliate bate varnish cripple whitewash cover reduce explain thin decrease defend moderate minimize justify
Show all synonyms

Antonyms

chastise chasten burden blast cane maximize
Show all antonyms

Hypernyms

excuse apologize rationalize apologise rationalise

Derivatives

extenuated extenuating

Examples

There 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

Close letter words and terms

extentive extenuable extenuacion extenuated extenuating extenuating circumstance