Extenuate

Part of speech: verb (v.)

1. To make thin or slender; to draw out so as to lessen the thickness. His body behind the head becomes broad, from whence it is again extenuated all the way to the tail. Grew.

2. To lessen; to palliate; to lessen or weaken the force of; to diminish the conception of, as crime, guilt, faults, ills, accusations, etc.; -- opposed to aggravate. But fortune there extenuates the crime. Dryden. Let us extenuate, conceal, adorn the unpleasing reality. I. Taylor.

3. To lower or degrade; to detract from. [Obs.] Who can extenuate thee Milton.

Synonyms: palliate; to mitigate. See Palliate.

Part of speech: verb (v.)

To become thinner; to make excuses; to advance palliating considerations. Burke.

Part of speech: adjective (a.)

Thin; slender. [Obs.] Huloet.