Extraneous vs Extenuate - What's the difference?

extraneous | extenuate |

As an adjective extraneous

is not belonging to, or dependent upon, a thing; without or beyond a thing; foreign.

As a verb extenuate is

to make thin or slender; to draw out so as to lessen the thickness.

extraneous

English

Adjective

(-)

Not belonging to, or dependent upon, a thing; without or beyond a thing; foreign

to separate gold from extraneous matter

Extraneous substances were found on my cup of water.

Not essential or intrinsic

Synonyms

* (not belonging to) additional, alien, foreign, intrusive * (not essential) superfluous, extra

Derived terms

* extraneously * extraneousness

extenuate

English

Verb

(en-verb)

To make thin or slender; to draw out so as to lessen the thickness.

* Grew

His body behind the head becomes broad, from whence it is again extenuated all the way to the tail.

* Charlotte Brontë, Shirley

To this extenuated spectre, perhaps, a crumb is not thrown once a year, but when ahungered and athirst to famine—when all humanity has forgotten the dying tenant of a decaying house—Divine Mercy remembers the mourner

To become thinner.

To lessen; to palliate; to lessen or weaken the force of; to diminish the conception of, as crime, guilt, faults, ills, accusations, etc.; opposed to aggravate.

* 1599 ,

CLAUDIO. I know what you would say: if I have known her,

You'll say she did embrace me as a husband,

And so extenuate the 'forehand sin: No, Leonato,

I never tempted her with word too large;

But, as a brother to his sister, show'd

Bashful sincerity and comely love.

* I. Taylor

Let us extenuate , conceal, adorn the unpleasing reality.

(obsolete) To lower or degrade; to detract from.

* Milton

Who can extenuate thee?