Extenuate for Dummies

Hey there! So, the word "extenuate" is kind of a big one, but let's break it down together so it's not so scary. When we say "extenuate," we're basically talking about making a situation or something you've done seem less serious or bad. It's like when you're trying to explain why you did something wrong, but you're also trying to show that it wasn't as bad as it might seem at first.

For example, let's say you forgot to do your homework because you were super busy with other stuff. When you tell your teacher about it, you might try to extenuate the situation by explaining everything else you had to do and how you just didn't have enough time. So, you're trying to make your forgetfulness seem less serious by showing that there were other reasons why it happened.

Another way to think about it is like when you're adding some sort of excuse or justification to something to make it not seem as bad. It's like putting a filter on a photo to make it look a little better than it actually is.

So, to sum it up, "extenuate" means to make something seem less serious or to lessen the badness of something by providing an explanation or excuse for it. It's all about trying to make a situation or your actions not seem as bad as they might seem at first glance. Cool, right? Keep on learning and asking questions! Keep it up!