tame

adjective

Save Word

\ 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

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. See More

Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective According to Sudeikis, the truth was far more tame. — Nicole Briese, PEOPLE.com, 5 May 2022 Given that the map has already seen volcano eruptions, meteor strikes and giant monster/robot fights, probably one of the more tame ways the map can be damaged at this point. — Paul Tassi, Forbes, 19 Mar. 2022 But the politicking surrounding these issues might actually count as some of the more tame fights playing out in Congress. — Gregory Krieg, CNN, 6 Dec. 2021 Kelly's past dates into one place, and ranking them in order from most tame to most insane. — Abby Dupes, Seventeen, 26 Apr. 2022 From the vast distance of 50 years, the events of Watergate seem a tame precursor to the assaults on democracy that America faces today. — Julie Hinds, Detroit Free Press, 24 Apr. 2022 The stories of brutality and suffering are endless, and no doubt anyone with greater knowledge of WWII will say the stories are tame relative to the brutality experienced by others. — John Tamny, Forbes, 13 Apr. 2022 And for those who fear that lawmakers and technology companies aren’t doing enough to tame false and fabricated information ahead of the next presidential election, Rumble has opened up a potentially dangerous loophole. — New York Times, 28 Mar. 2022 Yet the past few years have been relatively quiet for Schumer, as the self-deprecating feminist comedy that fueled her rise has become ubiquitous enough to feel tame. — Judy Berman, Time, 18 Mar. 2022 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Officials are trying to tame an inflation rate that's at a 40 year high. — Taylor Wilson, USA TODAY, 4 May 2022 The Fed launched a high-risk effort last month to tame the worst inflation since the early 1980s, raising its benchmark short-term interest rate and signaling up to six additional rate hikes this year. — Matt Ott, ajc, 7 Apr. 2022 The Fed launched a high-risk effort last month to tame the worst inflation since the early 1980s, raising its benchmark short-term interest rate and signaling up to six additional rate hikes this year. — CBS News, 7 Apr. 2022 The Federal Reserve launched a high-risk effort two weeks ago in an effort to tame the worst inflation since the early 1980s, raising its benchmark short-term interest rate and signaling up to six additional rate hikes this year. — NBC News, 31 Mar. 2022 The central bank is trying to tame inflation by lifting interest rates in a bid to make money more expensive to borrow, which can slow spending and cool off economic conditions. — New York Times, 25 Apr. 2022 Beyond trying to tame her taxes, Cristobal says her other big financial obstacle is saving for the future. — Megan Leonhardt, Fortune, 19 Apr. 2022 But my best guess is that the term was part of a broader social effort to tame with cuteness and adorability a gesture that, in the right hands, might smack of radical feminine reinvention and empowerment. — Vogue, 15 Apr. 2022 The Federal Reserve lifted its key interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point on Wednesday as policymakers took their first decisive step toward trying to tame rapid inflation by cooling the economy. — Arkansas Online, 17 Mar. 2022 See More

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.