Extenuate

C2 16+

Pronunciation: /ɪkˈstɛn.ju.eɪt/

Definitions of extenuate

noun extenuation

Example Sentences

A1 I don't know how to extenuate my mistake.

A2 She tried to extenuate her lateness by blaming traffic.

B1 The lawyer attempted to extenuate the severity of the crime.

B2 It is difficult to extenuate the company's unethical practices.

C1 The politician's attempts to extenuate his involvement in the scandal were unsuccessful.

C2 The CEO's efforts to extenuate the company's financial losses were met with skepticism.

verb to make (guilt or an offense) seem less serious or more forgivable

Example Sentences

A1 She tried to extenuate her mistake by saying it was an accident.

A2 He attempted to extenuate his lateness by blaming traffic.

B1 The defendant's lawyer tried to extenuate his client's actions by highlighting his difficult upbringing.

B2 The company's PR team worked hard to extenuate the negative impact of the scandal on their reputation.

C1 The politician's attempts to extenuate his involvement in the corruption scandal were met with skepticism.

C2 Despite his efforts to extenuate his behavior, he was still held accountable for his actions.

Examples of extenuate in a Sentence

formal It is important to consider all factors that may extenuate the defendant's actions in court.

informal I know you're upset, but there's no need to extenuate the situation.

slang Don't try to extenuate your way out of this mess.

figurative Her smile was enough to extenuate any bad mood I was in.

Grammatical Forms of extenuate

past tense

extenuated

plural

extenuates

present tense

extenuates

future tense

will extenuate

perfect tense

has extenuated

continuous tense

is extenuating

singular

extenuate

positive degree

extenuate

infinitive

to extenuate

gerund

extenuating

participle

extenuating

Origin and Evolution of extenuate

First Known Use: 1400 year
Language of Origin: Latin
Story behind the word: The word 'extenuate' originated from Latin 'extenuare', which is derived from 'ex-' (meaning 'out') and 'tenuare' (meaning 'to make thin or slender').
Evolution of the word: Originally used in the 15th century, 'extenuate' meant to make something less serious or severe by providing excuses or explanations. Over time, the word has evolved to also include the idea of making something appear less guilty or offensive through partial excuses or mitigating circumstances.