extenuate

1. (archaic)Examples: "It was deemed meritorious to disfigure the body by neglect and filth, to extenuate it by fasting and watchfulness, to lacerate it with stripes, and to fret the wounds with cilices of horsehair."; "Mamma's reception of her, just off the long winter journey, and extenuated with fatigues and sickly chagrins, was of the most cutting cruelty: "What do you want here? What is a medicant like you come hither for?""archaicformaltransitive

2. (archaic)Examples: "The Company having novv pretty vvell ſatisfied their Thirſt, nothing remained but to pay the Reckoning, a Circumſtance often productive of much Miſchief and Diſcontent among the inferior Rank of Gentry; vvho are apt to find great Difficulty in aſſeſſing the Sum, vvith exact Regard to diſtributive Juſtice, vvhich directs, that every Man ſhall pay according to the Quantity vvhich he drinks. […] In this Controverſy, the vvhole Company ſpoke together, and every Man ſeemed vvholly bent to extenuate the Sum vvhich fell to his Share; […]"archaicformaltransitive

3. (archaic)Examples: "to extenuate his faults    to extenuate their crimes"; "I knovv vvhat you vvould ſay: if I haue knovvne her, / You vvill ſay, ſhe did imbrace me as a husband, / And ſo extenuate the forehand ſinne: No, Leonato, / I never tempted her vvith vvord too large; / But as a brother to his ſiſter, ſhevved / Baſhful ſinceritie, and comelie loue."; "[L]et us ſee hovv the vvicked behave themſelves here; they are full of their ovvne praiſes, the Phariſee ſaid, I faſt tvvice in the vveeke, and I give my tithes: but vvhen he ſpeaketh of his ovvne ſinnes, he extenuateth them and maketh them nothing; […]"archaicformalspecificallytransitive

4. (obsolete)Examples: "[T]he Chinians can very cunningly beate and extenuate gold into plates and leaues."; "His [the sawfish's] Trunk or Body preſently behind his Head, becomes five inches broad, and about three high; from whence it is again extenuated all the way to the end of his Tail."formalobsoletetransitive

5. (obsolete)Examples: "Arte amplifieth or extenuateth at occaſion: the reſidue is the liberality of the pen, or the poyſon of the inke: […]"; "For you, faire Hermia, looke you arme your ſelfe, / To fit your fancies, to your fathers vvill; / Or elſe, the Lavv of Athens yeelds you vp / (VVhich by no meanes vve may extenuate) / To death, or to a vovve of ſingle life."; "Their Country is vſefull for paſſage into Tartarie and Turcomania, and therefore has endured no ſmall troubles to defend its right. Tis pleaſant and rich, and therefore a bait to allure her Sun-burnt and famiſht Neighbours to extenuate her plentie."Synonyms: mitigateAntonyms: aggravateformalobsoletetransitive

6. (obsolete)Examples: "[I]t hath beene ordinarie vvith politique men to extenuate and diſable learned men by the names of Pedantes: […]"; "Nor can vve extenuate the valour of ancient Martyrs, vvho contemned death in the uncomfortable ſcene of their lives, […]"; "Juſt are thy vvays, / Righteous are thy Decrees on all thy VVorks; / VVho can extenuate thee?"formalobsoletetransitive