tame

adjective

\ˈtām

tamer; tamest

Definition of tame

(Entry 1 of 2)

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

verb

tamed; taming

Definition of tame (Entry 2 of 2)

transitive verb

1a : to reduce from a wild to a domestic state

b : to subject to cultivation

c : to bring under control : harness

2 : to deprive of spirit : humble, subdue the once revolutionary … party, long since tamed — The Times Literary Supplement (London)

3 : to tone down : soften tamed the language in the play

intransitive verb

: to become tame

Other Words from tame Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about tame

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Other Words from tame

Adjective

tamely adverb

tameness noun

Verb

tamable or tameable \ˈtā-mə-bəl

\ adjective

tamer noun

Examples of tame in a Sentence

Adjective

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.

Verb

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.

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective

Others aren’t so sure, given how tame inflation has remained despite a sharp decline in unemployment since its recent peak of 10% in 2009. — Harriet Torry, WSJ, "Economists Split on Whether Outcome of Midterms Will Increase or Decrease Uncertainty," 15 Nov. 2018 During the practice rounds here, there was little wind and the course was much tamer. — Bill Pennington And Zach Schonbrun, New York Times, "U.S. Open 2018: A First Round Full of Struggles," 15 June 2018 Storm season: Other than the several-day volley of intense severe storms in the middle of this month, this season remains somewhat tame on that front so far. — Ian Livingston, Washington Post, "PM Update: Patchy fog possible tonight, then increasing odds of rain Wednesday," 29 May 2018 Some have steep drops for more intense slides in the snow, while others are a little tamer for family-friendly fun. — cleveland.com, "22 great sledding hills in Greater Cleveland," 9 Jan. 2018 Alessandro Michele’s Spring 2019 show for Gucci at Paris’s famous performance space Théâtre Le Palace was relatively tame. — Brooke Bobb, Vogue, "Jane Birkin Performed at Gucci’s Spring 2019 Runway Show," 24 Sep. 2018 Inflation remains tame, and wages are modestly rising. — Josh Mitchell, WSJ, "U.S. Consumer Confidence Drops in June," 26 June 2018 The rush of demand illustrates the challenge ahead for Chinese officials, who are seeking to tame house-price bubbles without tanking the entire economy. — Bloomberg.com, "North Korea Border Town Is Now China’s Hottest Property Market," 9 May 2018 Turning inside his defender the German had the entire goal to aim for, but tapped a tame effort right into the hands of Hyun-Woo Cho. — Nathan Hilditch, Pro Soccer USA, "South Korea 2-0 Germany: Champions curse strikes again as Germany exits World Cup," 27 June 2018

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

In the most severe cases, people with TMJ disorders may require surgery to repair the joint (or joints) or corticosteroid injections to tame inflammation and help with the pain. — Korin Miller, SELF, "Uh, Is It a Problem If You Can 'Pop' Your Jaw?," 16 Nov. 2018 Here's a rundown of what may be bugging you and why — plus ways to tame symptoms, from the simplest (over-the-counter pills) to the more involved (surgery). 1. — Sari Harrar, Good Housekeeping, "4 Perimenopause Period Symptoms That Could Be Serious," 3 July 2018 On Thursday, central banks in Indonesia and the Philippines raised interest rates to tame rising inflation. — Georgi Kantchev, WSJ, "Emerging Markets’ Double Whammy: Expensive Oil, Weak Currencies," 28 Sep. 2018 Budapest’s once uniformly artery-clogging fare has been tamed and diversified. — András Szántó, Condé Nast Traveler, "Where to Eat, Stay, and Play in Budapest," 29 Aug. 2018 Neko Case wants to write songs that can’t be tamed. — Greg Kot, chicagotribune.com, "Neko Case stomps the terra with the powerful ‘Hell-On’," 1 June 2018 Strategic prepping, says Dornan, who suggests using a smoothing shampoo and conditioner like Garnier Fructis Sleek & Shine Shampoo and Conditioner to hydrate and tame frizz. — Maureen Choi, Marie Claire, "How to Make Your Blowout Last Through a 3-Day Music Festival," 25 July 2017 Knowing exactly how to handle your symptoms makes it a lot easier to tame your condition and go on with your day. — Korin Miller, SELF, "7 Life Rules People With Asthma Should Always Follow," 18 Oct. 2018 Kaye even used Elnett on a toothbrush to tame flyaways as a finishing touch, while Van Ness fired off supportive comments about fan art of the Fab Five on Instagram. — Vogue, "Watch Jonathan Van Ness Prep for His Instantly Iconic Red Carpet Moment at the Creative Arts Emmy Awards," 17 Sep. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'tame.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.