EXTENUATE • DICTIONARY ONE.COM • Definition of Extenuate

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/ɪkstˈɛnjuˌeɪt/ Listen

verb

Extenuate v. t. (past & past part. extenuated; pres. part. extenuating)

To make thin or slender; to draw out so as to lessen the thickness. "His body behind the head becomes broad, from whence it is again extenuated all the way to the tail."

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. "But fortune there extenuates the crime." "Let us extenuate, conceal, adorn the unpleasing reality."

To lower or degrade; to detract from. (Obs.) "Who can extenuate thee?"

Synonyms: To palliate; to mitigate. See Palliate.

Extenuate v. i. To become thinner; to make excuses; to advance palliating considerations.

adjective

Extenuate adj. Thin; slender. (Obs.)

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Etymology of 'Extenuate'

Collaborative International Dictionary of English 0.48

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"Extenuate" Quotes from Famous Books

... to recollect that I have been the thing. I could plead the extreme vivacity of my youth, my ungovernable passions, and the dangerous temptation of critical moments; but that I will not exhibit any feature of pitiful apology, or endeavour to extenuate what I ...

— The Adventures of Hugh Trevor • Thomas Holcroft

... God, O troubled soul, from whom the vision of Christ is veiled. It is more than likely that some undetected or unconfessed sin is shutting out the rays of the true sun. Excuse nothing, extenuate nothing, omit nothing. Do not speak of mistakes of judgment, but of lapses of heart and will. Do not be content with a general confession; be particular and specific. Drag each evil thing forth before God's judgment bar; let the secrets be exposed, and the dark, sad story told. Begin ...

— John the Baptist • F. B. Meyer

... and that misunderstandings and jealousies had been fostered to separate them. The subject is one of lively interest, and, though involved in much mystery, must not be disposed of without investigation; and, whilst we claim at the hands of others to "set down nought in malice," we must "nothing extenuate," nor allow any apprehension of consequences to suppress or soften the very truth. The Author feels himself bound to state not only the mere details of facts from which inferences might be drawn, but ...

— Henry of Monmouth, Volume 1 - Memoirs of Henry the Fifth • J. Endell Tyler

... old friend of mine." Isabel cared little more for him than for the tapestry that she held in her hand; but it was true that he was an old friend and that with her husband she felt a desire not to extenuate such ties. He had a way of expressing contempt for them which fortified her loyalty to them, even when, as in the present case, they were in themselves insignificant. She sometimes felt a sort of passion of tenderness ...

— The Portrait of a Lady - Volume 2 (of 2) • Henry James

... said judges, and we do, with heartfelt sensibility, deprecate the serious and distressing consequences which followed such decision; yet we forbear to look with severity on the past, in consequence of judicial precedents, calculated in some measure to extenuate the conduct of the judges, and hope that for the future this explicit expression of public ...

— The American Judiciary • Simeon E. Baldwin, LLD

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