tame
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About Our Definitions: All forms of a word (noun, verb, etc.) are now displayed on one page.1tame
adjective \ˈtām\tam·ertam·est
Definition of TAME
1
: reduced from a state of native wildness especially so as to be tractable and useful to humans : domesticated <tame animals>
2
: made docile and submissive : subdued
3
: lacking spirit, zest, interest, or the capacity to excite : insipid <a tame campaign>
— tame·ly adverb
— tame·ness noun
See Examples of TAME
- The island's birds are quite tame.
- They ran a pretty tame campaign.
- Some people were shocked by the movie, but I found the story pretty tame.
- Members of the audience were too tame to interrupt the speaker.
Origin of TAME
Middle English, from Old English tam; akin to Old High German zam tame, Latin domare to tame, Greek damnanai
First Known Use: before 12th century
Related to TAME
- Synonyms
- domestic, domesticated, tamed
- Antonyms
- feral, nondomesticated, savage, undomesticated, untamed, wild
2tame
verbtamedtam·ing
Definition of TAME
transitive verb
1
a : to reduce from a wild to a domestic state b : to subject to cultivation c : to bring under control : harness
2
3
: to tone down : soften <tamed the language in the play>
intransitive verb
: to become tame
— tam·able or tame·able \ˈtā-mə-bəl\ adjective
— tam·er noun
Examples of TAME
- It took a while to tame the horse.
- the people who tamed the Wild West
- He struggled to tame his temper.
- The government needs to do something to tame inflation.
First Known Use of TAME
13th century
Related to TAME
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