Definition of tame
tamer
;tamest
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
tamely
adverbtameness
nounRead the Latest from M-W
Examples of tame in a Sentence
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 and Etymology 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
tame
Definition of tame
tamed
;taming
transitive verb
1a : to reduce from a wild to a domestic stateb : to subject to cultivationc : 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
tamer
nounExamples of tame in a Sentence
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.
13th Century
First Known Use of tame
13th century
TAME Defined for English Language Learners
tame
playDefinition of tame for English Language Learners
-
: not wild : trained to obey people
-
: not afraid of people
-
: not exciting or interesting
tame
Definition of tame for English Language Learners
-
: to make (an animal) tame
-
: to make (something) less wild or difficult to control : to bring (something) under control
TAME Defined for Kids
Definition of tame for Students
tamed
;taming
: to make or become gentle or obedient They tamed the lion.
tamer
nounLearn More about tame
-
See words that rhyme with tame Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for tame Spanish Central: Translation of tame Nglish: Translation of tame for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of tame for Arabic speakers
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up tame? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!