extenuate
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to represent (a fault, offense, etc.) as less serious.
to extenuate a crime.
-
to serve to make (a fault, offense, etc.) seem less serious.
-
to underestimate, underrate, or make light of.
Do not extenuate the difficulties we are in.
-
Archaic.
-
to make thin, lean, or emaciated.
-
to reduce the consistency or density of.
-
verb
-
to represent (an offence, a fault, etc) as being less serious than it appears, as by showing mitigating circumstances
-
to cause to be or appear less serious; mitigate
-
to underestimate or make light of
-
archaic
-
to emaciate or weaken
-
to dilute or thin out
-
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
extenuationnoun
-
extenuatornoun
-
extenuatingadjective
-
extenuativeadjective
-
extenuatoryadjective
-
nonextenuativeadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
extenuatesimple
-
extenuatessimple
-
have extenuatedperfect
-
has extenuatedperfect
-
am extenuatingprogressive
-
are extenuatingprogressive
-
is extenuatingprogressive
-
have been extenuatingperfect progressive
-
has been extenuatingperfect progressive
Past
-
extenuatedsimple
-
had extenuatedperfect
-
was extenuatingprogressive
-
were extenuatingprogressive
-
had been extenuatingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of extenuate
First recorded in 1520–30; from Latin extenuātus, past participle of extenuāre, equivalent to ex- ex- 1 + tenuāre “to make thin or small”; see origin at thin; see also -ate 1 ( def. )
Explanation
To extenuate is to make less of something or try to minimize its importance. The fact that you walked your little sister to school because she missed the bus might extenuate your teacher's response when you show up late. Extenuate goes back to the Latin verb extenuāre, meaning "to thin" or "make thin." Someone might have a strong case against you for doing something wrong, but an added consideration can make it less serious, or extenuate, the circumstances that led to it. If you give an excuse that doesn't really relate to what was done, it won't extenuate the punishment. If something has a real bearing on what went wrong, it will extenuate the response, and you'll get in less trouble.
Vocabulary lists containing extenuate
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
A Midsummer Night's Dream
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Othello
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Nothing can extenuate the horror of acts he spent his adult life trying to avoid.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 10, 2022
In my initial salvo, I pointed out that Yglesias had minimized the harm of copyright infringement with a rationale that could extenuate theft of any kind.
From Slate ● Feb. 2, 2012
Exceptionalism can be a dangerous faith because of how much it can extenuate and excuse.
From Time ● Feb. 4, 2010
In New York the instinct to "Garland" the monstrous -- to extenuate brutality and make a victim of the victimizer -- is more attenuated than in the Ivy League.
From Time Magazine Archive
It will be seen that I abstain from harsh language, and rather extenuate than otherwise the unworthiness of my adversary.
From The Highlands of Ethiopia by Harris, William Cornwallis
“Prince is painfully removed from the youth culture in which he’s participating, which only extenuates the project’s problems,” it stated.
From The Guardian ● Jul. 18, 2015
Conscious of her own imperfections, she never justifies her faults, and seldom extenuates them.
From Coelebs In Search of a Wife by More, Hannah
He then discusses the bearing of ignorance and error, vincible and invincible, and specially the case wherein an erroneous conscience extenuates.
From Moral Science; a Compendium of Ethics by Bain, Alexander
Policy may, however, outweigh strategy, and the circumstance that the victor only retains as the price of peace his conquests, or part of them, made in war, extenuates if it does not justify divergent operations.
From A Short History of the Great War by Pollard, A. F. (Albert Frederick)
This act of disobedience differs from the others in one particular which, in the opinion of your Committee, rather aggravates than extenuates the offence.
From The Works of the Right Honourable Edmund Burke, Vol. 08 (of 12) by Burke, Edmund
Hooker’s problems have been particularly extenuated and traumatic, especially for a vaulter who had the skill and composure to set an Olympic record of 19-6½ at the 2008 Beijing Games.
From New York Times ● Aug. 8, 2012
So the Beverly Park incident, and all other incidents, if true to the last syllable of the defense testimony, merely in this case extenuated the motive on November 5th.
From The Everett massacre A history of the class struggle in the lumber industry by Smith, Walker C.
"I thought," he extenuated, "that the girls were the chief obstacle to your marrying me; that you might get to feel differently about them if you didn't have them thrust too much upon you."
From A Woman of Genius by Austin, Mary Hunter
"I stand pledged to show my countrymen that I have nothing extenuated in speaking of Irish beauty;—nay, Helen, it is my last time, forgive it."
From The Knight Of Gwynne, Vol. I (of II) by Lever, Charles James
We had not then learnt with what little reserve such deeds of blood are avowed in Corsica; how thoroughly they are extenuated by the popular code of morals or honour.
From Rambles in the Islands of Corsica and Sardinia with Notices of their History, Antiquities, and Present Condition. by Forester, Thomas
The animal welfare charity said the numbers and living conditions of the dogs, discovered at an undisclosed location in the UK, "had rapidly grown out of control amid extenuating family circumstances".
From BBC ● Apr. 8, 2026
“The bottom line is: If consumers have jobs, barring extenuating circumstances, they will continue to spend money and pay their bills.”
From MarketWatch ● Dec. 11, 2025
After the public backlash, Taiwan announced additional exemptions for individuals with extenuating circumstances such as financial hardship, medical needs or safety concerns about traveling to China to search for records.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 22, 2025
“The one thing I can tell you is that everyone that’s ever worked for me has always gotten paid. Obviously, the circumstances here are a little extenuating, but yes, everybody will be paid eventually.”
From Slate ● Apr. 18, 2024
“Isn’t it a pity that we didn’t meet under less extenuating circumstances?”
From "Nine Stories" by J. D. Salinger
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
