tame

verb

tamed; taming

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

: 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

tamable adjective

or tameable

ˈtā-mə-bəl 

tamer noun

Synonyms of tame

• regulate
• contain
• control
• keep
• curb
• restrain
• suppress
• stifle

Examples 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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Still, futures market traders are currently projecting that the central bank will have to hike rates in order to tame inflation by December, with a 60% chance that a hike could happen as soon as October. —Steve Kopack, NBC news, 11 June 2026

Trump officials have stated that more doctors would tame health care costs and improve health outcomes for Americans. —Stuart Anderson, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026

Then there’s her steady stream of love letters to nature, wild and tamed. —Literary Hub, 8 June 2026

And Shawn's Ray Wilkins is still struggling to stay in the closet, this time turning to the church in a Sinners parody to keep him tamed. —Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 7 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Rhymes for tame

• aim
• blame
• brame
• came
• claim
• dame
• fame
• flame
• frame
• game
• haim
• lame

Kids Definition

tame

1 of 2 adjective

ˈtām 

tamer; tamest

1

: changed from the wild state so as to become useful and obedient to human beings : domesticated

a tame elephant

2

: made gentle and obedient

3

: lacking spirit or interest : dull

tamely adverb

tameness noun

tame

2 of 2 verb

tamed; taming

1

a

: to make or become tame

tame a lion

b

: to subject to cultivation

wilderness tamed by farmers

2

: to bring under control : subdue

tame your temper

tamer noun