Master confusing words with ease
Extenuate vs. Attenuate
Extenuate
/ɪkˈstenjuˌeɪtɪŋ/Examples:
The lawyer tried to extenuate his client's actions.Don't extenuate the gravity of the situation.She attempted to extenuate the circumstances of her mistake.
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Attenuate
/əˈtenjueɪt/Examples:
The virus can attenuate its impact over time.Thin strands of metal wire attenuate sound waves effectively.Engineers found a way to attenuate the signal interference.
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Antonyms:
Ways to tell them apart:
- Extenuate is often used in a legal or moral context, whereas attenuate is more scientific or technical in nature.
- Think of extenuate as trying to lessen blame or damage regarding a situation, while attenuate often implies reducing force, intensity, or value.
- Remember that extenuate deals with justifying or making excuses, like in extenuating circumstances, while attenuate refers more to the physical reduction or weakening, like reducing the strength of a signal.
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