extenuate

verb

1. (formal, transitive)To make (something) less dense, or thinner; also, to lower the viscosity of (something).

   “Garlyke. It doth extenuate and cutte groſſe humours and ſlymy, diſſolueth groſſe wyndes, and healeth all the body; […] yf it be ſodden vntyll it loſeth his tarteneſſe, it ſomewhat nouryſſheth, and yet looſeth not his propertie, to extenuate groſſe humours: […]”

   “[T]hey ſuppoſe an Olive the more grovvne it is in carnoſitie, to be the fuller of oile: vvhereas in very truth, all the good juice in them is converted then into the groſſe and corpulent ſubſtance thereof, […] unleſſe there enſue a drie ſeaſon and faire vveather to extenuate that groſſe ſubſtance into vvhich the Olive had turned the foreſaid juice and humour, all the oile is conſumed and loſt.”

   “[A]ll men doe agree, that thoſe medicines are profitable vvhich doe extenuate, as all thoſe doe vvhich haue a propertie to prouoke vrine, and Betonie is of this qualitie, and therefore beeing taken vvith VVine, it muſt needes doe good in venomous bytings, and that not onely in the bytings of men and Apes, but in Serpents alſo.”

   “It appeareth alſo, that the forme of Piramis in Flame, vvhich vve uſually ſee, is meerely by Accident, and that the Aire about, by quenching the Sides of the Flame, cruſheth it, and extenuateth it into that Forme; For of it ſelfe it vvould be Round: […]”

   “He the congealed vapors melts againe; / Extenuated into drops of Raine: / VVhich on the thirſtie Earth in ſhovvers diſtill; / And all that life poſſeſſe vvith plenty fill.”

2. (archaic, formal, transitive)To make (someone or something) slender or thin; to emaciate, to waste.

   “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?"”

3. (archaic, formal, transitive)To underestimate or understate the importance of (something); to underrate.
4. (archaic, formal, specifically, transitive)To underestimate or understate the importance of (something); to underrate.

   “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; […]”

   “And of thoſe defects in Reaſoning, there is none that can Excuſe (though ſome of them may Extenuate) a Crime, in any man, that pretendeth to the adminiſtration of his ovvn private buſineſſe; much leſſe in them that undertake a publique charge; becauſe they pretend to the Reaſon, upon the vvant vvhereof they vvould ground their Excuſe.”

   “In the ſeveral Debates upon this Impeachment, it muſt be confeſſed that his Majeſty gave many marks Of his great Lenity, often urging the Services you had done him, and endeavouring to extenuate your Crimes.”

5. (formal, obsolete, transitive)To beat or draw (a metal object, etc.) out so as to lessen the thickness.

   “[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.”

6. (formal, obsolete, transitive)To reduce the quality or quantity of (something); to lessen or weaken the force of (something).

   “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.”

   “[…] If Kings cannot by Lavv change or extenuate Lavvs once approved vvithout the conſent of the Republike, much leſſe can they make and create nevv Lavvs; […]”

7. (formal, obsolete, transitive)To degrade (someone); to detract from (someone's qualities, reputation, etc.); to depreciate, to disparage.

   “[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?”

adj

1. (formal, obsolete, transitive)Of a person: emaciated, wasted, weakened; of the body or part of it: atrophied, shrunken, withered.
2. (formal, obsolete, transitive)Of a quality or thing: lessened, weakened.

   “And, that ſame Maieſty, vvhich (as the Baſe / And Pedeſtal) ſupports the vvaight and grace, / Greatnes and glory of a vvell-Rul'd State, / It not extinguiſht nor extenuate, / By being parcelliz'd to a plurality / Of petty Kinglings, of a mean Equality: […]”

   “VVee repreſent Small Sounds as Great and Deepe; Likevviſe Great Sounds, Extenuate and Sharpe; VVee make diuerſe Tremblings and VVarblings of Sounds, vvhich in their Originall are Entire.”

3. (formal, obsolete, transitive)Reduced to poverty; impoverished.