extenuating
Meaning of extenuating
- (of a factor or situation) serving to lessen the seriousness of an offence.
library staff will waive fines where there are genuine extenuating circumstances
hunger and poverty are not treated by the courts as extenuating circumstances
early 17th century (with the meaning ‘causing to become thin’): from extenuate.
verb, gerund or present participle- cause (an offence) to seem less serious.
even the fact that you once helped to save my life could not extenuate your offence
- make (someone) thin.
his whole frame was extenuated by hunger and fatigue
drawings of extenuated figures
late Middle English (in the sense ‘make thin’): from Latin extenuat- ‘made thin’, from the verb extenuare (based on tenuis ‘thin’).
Information about extenuating
- The plural form of extenuating is: extenuatings.
- Languages in which extenuating is used:
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Hyphenation of extenuating
ex-ten-u-at-ing
- It consists of 5 syllables and 11 chars.
- extenuating is a word polysyllabic because it has four or more syllables
extenuating synonyms
Meaning seek to lessen the blame attaching to (a fault or offence); try to justify:
Meaning make (something bad) less severe, serious, or painful:
Meaning disguise the seriousness of (an offence):
Meaning resist an attack made on (someone or something); protect from harm or danger:
Meaning show or prove to be right, reasonable, or justified:
Meaning show or prove to be right or reasonable:
Meaning give a reason so as to justify or excuse (an action or event):
Meaning make or become less:
Meaning make or become less; diminish:
Meaning make or become less extreme, intense, rigorous, or violent:
Meaning be entitled to a particular benefit or privilege by fulfilling a necessary condition:
Meaning make or become soft or softer:
Meaning make smaller or less in amount, degree, or size:
Meaning improve the hardness and elasticity of (steel or other metal) by reheating and then cooling it:
Meaning make or become weaker in power, resolve, or physical strength:
Meaning having the effect of making something bad less severe, serious, or painful:
Meaning (of a medicine or medical care) relieving pain without dealing with the cause of the condition:
Meaning serving as proof or justification:
Meaning denoting someone or something that qualifies for something:
extenuating antonyms
Meaning make (a problem, injury, or offence) worse or more serious:
Meaning making a problem or offence worse or more serious:
Translation of extenuating
- Italian: attenuante
- Spanish: atenuante
- French: atténuant
- Portuguese: atenuante
Words that rhyme with extenuating
Ting, ting, Hooperating, Italianating, Keating, Kweihwating, Photostating, abalienating, abating, abbreviating, abdicating, aberrating, abirritating, abjudicating, ablactating, ablating, abnegating, abominating, abrogating, absinthiating, absquatulating, accelerating, accentuating, acceptilating, acclimating, accommodating, acculturating, accumulating, acerbating, acetylating, acidulating, acierating, activating, actuating, acuating, acuminating, acylating, adiating, adjudicating, adminiculating, administrating, adstipulating, adulating, adulterating, adumbrating, advocating, aerating, aerobating, affiliating, agglomerating