extenuate
verb
1 extenuate
Lessen or to try to lessen the seriousness or extent of:
— The circumstances extenuate the crime.
synonyms: mitigate, palliate.
Roget 160:
be weak
etc.
adj.;
drop,
crumble,
give way,
totter,
tremble,
shake,
halt,
limp,
fade,
languish,
decline,
flag,
fail,
have one leg in the grave.
render weak
etc.
adj.;
weaken,
enfeeble,
debilitate,
shake,
deprive of strength,
relax,
enervate,
eviscerate;
unbrace,
unnerve;
cripple,
unman
etc.
(render powerless)
158;
cramp,
reduce,
sprain,
strain,
blunt the edge of;
dilute,
impoverish;
decimate;
extenuate;
reduce in strength,
reduce the strength of;
mettre de l'eau dans son vin [Fr.].
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Roget 36:
decrease,
diminish,
lessen;
abridge
etc.
(shorten)
201;
shrink
etc.
(contract)
195;
drop off,
fall off,
tail off;
fall away,
waste,
wear;
wane,
ebb,
decline;
descend
etc.
306;
subside;
melt away,
die away;
retire into the shade,
hide its diminished head,
fall to a low ebb,
run low,
languish,
decay,
crumble.
bate,
abate,
dequantitate†;
discount;
depreciate;
extenuate,
lower,
weaken,
attenuate,
fritter away;
mitigate
etc.
(moderate)
174;
dwarf,
throw into the shade;
reduce
etc.
195;
shorten
etc.
201;
subtract
etc.
38.
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Dutch: verminderen, verzachten, verdunnen, mitigeren
noun
Roget 937:
vindication,
justification,
warrant;
exoneration,
exculpation;
acquittal
etc.
970;
whitewashing.
extenuation;
palliation,
palliative;
softening,
mitigation.
reply,
defense;
recrimination
etc.
938.
apology,
gloss,
varnish;
plea
etc.
617;
salvo;
excuse,
extenuating circumstances;
allowance,
allowance to be made;
locus paenitentiae [Lat.].
apologist,
vindicator,
justifier;
defendant
etc.
938.
justifiable charge,
true bill.
v..
justify,
warrant;
be an excuse for
etc.
n.;
lend a color,
furnish a handle;
vindicate;
exculpate,
disculpate†;
acquit
etc.
970;
clear,
set right,
exonerate,
whitewash;
clear the skirts of.
extenuate,
palliate,
excuse,
soften,
apologize,
varnish,
slur,
gloze;
put a gloss,
put a good face upon;
mince;
gloss over,
bolster up,
help a lame dog over a stile.
advocate,
defend,
plead one's cause;
stand up for,
stick up for,
speak up for;
contend for,
speak for;
bear out,
keep in countenance,
support;
plead
&c.,
617;
say in defense;
plead ignorance;
confess and avoid,
propugn†,
put in a good word for.
take the will for the deed,
make allowance for,
give credit for,
do justice to;
give one his due,
give the Devil his due.
make good;
prove the truth of,
prove one's case;
be justified by the event.
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Moby thesaurus: 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 ... show more.
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