extenuate

Meaning

Verb

1. (formal, transitive) To make (something) less dense, or thinner; also, to lower the viscosity of (something).
2. (archaic, formal, transitive) To make (someone or something) slender or thin; to emaciate, to waste.
3. (archaic, formal, transitive) To underestimate or understate the importance of (something); to underrate.
4. (archaic, formal, specifically, transitive) To underestimate or understate the importance of (something); to underrate.
5. (formal, obsolete, transitive) To beat or draw (a metal object, etc.) out so as to lessen the thickness.
6. (formal, obsolete, transitive) To reduce the quality or quantity of (something); to lessen or weaken the force of (something).
7. (formal, obsolete, transitive) To degrade (someone); to detract from (someone's qualities, reputation, etc.); to depreciate, to disparage.

Adj

1. (formal, obsolete, transitive) Of a person: emaciated, wasted, weakened; of the body or part of it: atrophied, shrunken, withered.
2. (formal, obsolete, transitive) Of a quality or thing: lessened, weakened.
3. (formal, obsolete, transitive) Reduced to poverty; impoverished.

Opposite of

aggravate

Synonyms

palliate

mitigate

allay

lessen

gloss over

whitewash

diminish

reduce

temper

moderate

decrease

deplete

ease

euphemize

excuse

explain away

extenuation

gloze

lower

make smaller

mince

prune

put down

qualify

relax

relieve

remit

retrench

scale down

season

shorten

shrink

smooth out

tone down

trim

underestimate

underestimation

underrate

underrating

abate

soften down

abridge

attenuate

bate

break

curtail

cut

cut back

damp

decline

Translations

atténuer

atenuar

ελαφρύνω

verminderen

annacquare

μετριάζω

attenuare

ridurre

dämpfen

abschwächen

diminuire

pallier

amoindrir

exténuer

Pronounced as (IPA)

/ɪkˈstɛnjʊeɪt/

Etymology

From Middle English extenuat (“(medicine) made thin, emaciated”), from Latin extenuātus (“diminished, reduced, thinned”), perfect passive participle of extenuō (“to diminish, reduce, thin”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from ex- (“out-, thoroughly”) + tenuō (“to enfeeble, weaken, wear down; to lessen, reduce; to make thin”) from tenuō, itself from tenuis (“fine, slender, thin; feeble, weak”) + -ō (first conjugation-verb forming suffix) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tenh₂- (“to extend, stretch; thin”)).