extenuate

== English == === Etymology 1 === From Middle English extenuat (“(medicine) made thin, emaciated”), from Latin extenuātus (“diminished, reduced, thinned”), perfect passive participle of extenuō (“to diminish, reduce, thin”) (see -ate (verb-forming suffix)), from ex- (“out-, thoroughly”) +‎ tenuō (“to enfeeble, weaken, wear down; to lessen, reduce; to make thin”) from tenuō, itself from tenuis (“fine, slender, thin; feeble, weak”) +‎ -ō (first conjugation-verb forming suffix) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *tenh₂- (“to extend, stretch; thin”)). Compare attenuate. ==== Pronunciation 1 ==== (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ɪkˈstɛnjʊeɪt/, /ɛk-/, /-juː/ (General American) IPA(key): /ɪkˈstɛnjəˌweɪt/ Hyphenation: ex‧ten‧u‧ate ==== Verb ==== extenuate (third-person singular simple present extenuates, present participle extenuating, simple past and past participle extenuated) (transitive, formal) To make (something) less dense, or thinner; also, to lower the viscosity of (something). (archaic) To make (someone or something) slender or thin; to emaciate, to waste. To underestimate or understate the importance of (something); to underrate. (specifically) To diminish or seek to diminish the extent or severity of (a crime, guilt, a mistake, or something else negative) by making apologies or excuses; to palliate. (obsolete) To beat or draw (a metal object, etc.) out so as to lessen the thickness. To reduce the quality or quantity of (something); to lessen or weaken the force of (something). Synonym: mitigate Antonym: aggravate To degrade (someone); to detract from (someone's qualities, reputation, etc.); to depreciate, to disparage. ===== Conjugation ===== ===== Derived terms ===== ===== Related terms ===== ===== Translations ===== ==== Pronunciation 2 ==== (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ɪkˈstɛnjʊət/, /ɛk-/, /-juː/, /-eɪt/ (General American) IPA(key): /ɪkˈstɛnjəˌwət/, /-eɪt/ Hyphenation: ex‧ten‧u‧ate === Etymology 2 === From Latin extenuātus (“diminished, reduced, thinned”) (more at etymology 1), see -ate (adjective-forming suffix). ==== Adjective ==== extenuate (comparative more extenuate, superlative most extenuate) (obsolete) Of a person: emaciated, wasted, weakened; of the body or part of it: atrophied, shrunken, withered. Of a quality or thing: lessened, weakened. Reduced to poverty; impoverished. === References === == Latin == === Pronunciation === (Classical Latin) IPA(key): [ɛk.stɛ.nuˈaː.tɛ] (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA(key): [ek.ste.nuˈaː.te] === Verb === extenuāte second-person plural present active imperative of extenuō == Spanish == === Verb === extenuate second-person singular voseo imperative of extenuar combined with te