extenuate

English

Etymology

From Latin extenuatus, past participle of extenuare to make (" to thin, loosen, weaken"); ex out + tenuare ("to make thin"), tenuis ("thin").

Pronunciation

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Verb

extenuate (third-person singular simple present extenuates, present participle extenuating, simple past and past participle extenuated)

1. (transitive) To make thin or slender; to draw out so as to lessen the thickness.
2. (transitive) 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.
3. (obsolete) To lower or degrade; to detract from.

Part or all of this entry has been imported from the 1913 edition of Webster’s Dictionary, which is now free of copyright and hence in the public domain. The imported definitions may be significantly out of date, and any more recent senses may be completely missing.

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Latin

Verb

extenuāte

1. second-person plural present active imperative of extenuō