extenuate
to make a fault seem less serious
Roots
- e- / ex-: out, out of, away, or forth
- tenu / tenuis: thin, slender, weak, or stretched
Other words with the tenu / tenuis root
- attenuate: to weaken, thin, or reduce
- attenuation: weakening or reduction in force
- extenuating: making guilt or blame seem less severe
- tenuity: thinness or slenderness
- tenuous: thin, weak, or slight
Extenuate thins the weight of blame; it does not erase the fault.
The apology did not extenuate the harm.