Extenuate1. (v. t.) To lessen; to weaken the force of; to diminish the severity of crime, guilt, faults; as, extenuating circumstances -- opposed to aggravate.
2. (v. t.) To make thin or slender; to draw out so as to lessen the thickness.
3. (v. t.) To lower or degrade; to detract from.
4. (v. i.) To become thinner; to make excuses; to advance palliating considerations.
5. (a.) Thin; slender.
Thesaurus Entries
abate, allay, alleviate, allow for, apologize, assuage, attemper, attenuate, bank the fire, bate, blunt, chasten, color, constrain, control, cramp, cripple, damp, dampen, de-emphasize, deaden, debilitate, devitalize, dilute, diminish, downplay, dull, ease, enervate, enfeeble, eviscerate, exhaust, explain, gloss over, gruel, ignore, justify, keep within bounds, lay, lay low, lenify, lessen, lighten, make allowance for, mince, mitigate, moderate, modulate, obtund, palliate, play down, qualify, rationalize, rattle, reduce, reduce the temperature, remit, restrain, sap, shake, shake up, slacken, slow down, slur over, smother, sober, sober down, soft-pedal, soften, soften up, stifle, subdue, sugarcoat, suppress, tame, temper, tone down, tune down, unbrace, undermine, underplay, unman, unnerve, unstrengthen, unstring, varnish, veneer, water down, weaken, white, whiten, whitewash