extenuating
Use Extenuating in a sentence
yuˌeɪ adjective
serving to make a fault, offense, etc., appear less serious: The judge gave him a comparatively mild sentence due to extenuating circumstances.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
verb (used with object), ex·ten·u·at·ed, ex·ten·u·at·ing.
1.
to represent (a fault, offense, etc.) as less serious: to extenuate a crime.
2.
to serve to make (a fault, offense, etc.) seem less serious.
3.
to underestimate, underrate, or make light of: Do not extenuate the difficulties we are in.
4.
Archaic.
a.
to make thin, lean, or emaciated.
b.
to reduce the consistency or density of.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
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Link To extenuating
00:10
Extenuating
is always a great word to know.
So is bezoar. Does it mean:
| an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. |
| a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
extenuate (ɪkˈstɛnjʊˌeɪt) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —vb | |
| 1. | to represent (an offence, a fault, etc) as being less serious than it appears, as by showing mitigating circumstances |
| 2. | to cause to be or appear less serious; mitigate |
| 3. | to underestimate or make light of |
| 4. | archaic |
| a. to emaciate or weaken | |
| b. to dilute or thin out | |
| [C16: from Latin extenuāre to make thin, from tenuis thin, frail] | |
| ex'tenuating | |
| —adj | |
| extenu'ation | |
| —n | |
| ex'tenuator | |
| —n | |
| ex'tenuatory | |
| —adj | |
| extenuate (ɪkˈstɛnjʊˌeɪt) | |
| —vb | |
| 1. | to represent (an offence, a fault, etc) as being less serious than it appears, as by showing mitigating circumstances |
| 2. | to cause to be or appear less serious; mitigate |
| 3. | to underestimate or make light of |
| 4. | archaic |
| a. to emaciate or weaken | |
| b. to dilute or thin out | |
| [C16: from Latin extenuāre to make thin, from tenuis thin, frail] | |
| ex'tenuating | |
| —adj | |
| extenu'ation | |
| —n | |
| ex'tenuator | |
| —n | |
| ex'tenuatory | |
| —adj | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
extenuate
1520s, from L. extenuat-, pp. stem of extenuare "lessen," from ex- "out" + tenuare "make thin," from tenuis "thin" (see tenet). Related: Extenuated; extenuating; extenuation.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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