as in muted
not excessively showy
the wedding was a subdued affair, with only close family and friends attending
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in defeated
to achieve a victory over
subdued her fear of the dark by joining a club for spelunkers
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in dominated
to bring under one's control by force of arms
subdued the rebels and sent their leaders to the gallows
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in suppressed
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force
labored through the night to subdue the river's rising waters by building a wall of sandbags around their property
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of subdued
Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 22 Aug. 2025
View gallery - 6 images Hennessey has quietly unveiled its shiny new Venom F5 Revolution LF hypercar, which makes other hypercars look… well, subdued.
—New Atlas, 19 Aug. 2025
Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
There is nothing subdued or conciliatory in its account of the brutal transfer of power which comes when a parent is failing and a child assumes command.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subdued
Adjective
The Arion has a more subdued vibe, with the resort’s Michelin-star restaurant, Pelagos; the spa; and an indoor pool.
—Paul Brady, Travel + Leisure, 22 Aug. 2025
View gallery - 6 images Hennessey has quietly unveiled its shiny new Venom F5 Revolution LF hypercar, which makes other hypercars look… well, subdued.
—New Atlas, 19 Aug. 2025
Verb
Prestige beauty was flat as the market remained subdued.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 4 Sep. 2025
There is nothing subdued or conciliatory in its account of the brutal transfer of power which comes when a parent is failing and a child assumes command.
—Rebecca Mead, New Yorker, 3 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subdued
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subdued
Adjective
-
Markets were relatively muted on Friday.—
Jeff Marks,
CNBC,
12 Sep. 2025
-
The soft, muted tones of the jewels and beads used throughout the garment created an incandescent quality.—
Julia Teti,
Footwear News,
11 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
And after Detroit defeated Green Bay, 34-31, in Week 14 last season, many Packers talked about wanting to see the Lions again in the postseason.—
Rob Reischel,
Forbes.com,
8 Sep. 2025
-
The team defeated the 49ers, 20-3, in front of a record-setting crowd.—
Kelsie Gibson,
PEOPLE,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Carr had been a game warden in Northern Rhodesia (as Zambia was then called), where hunting dominated.—
Daniel Scheffler,
Forbes.com,
12 Sep. 2025
-
Much of the world's launch capacity today is used to deploy smaller communications satellites into low-Earth orbit, primarily for broadband connectivity rather than for the video broadcast market once dominated by higher-altitude geosynchronous satellites.—
Stephen Clark,
ArsTechnica,
12 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Defenders shot down or suppressed 112 drones, the air force said.—
David Brennan,
ABC News,
8 Sep. 2025
-
Until the 1960s, members of this Indigenous minority were discouraged from reindeer herding, and the church and state suppressed their language and culture.—
Jason Ma,
Fortune,
7 Sep. 2025
Adjective
-
On highways and surface roads in the rural countryside west of Detroit, the 2025 Ford Explorer was smooth and quiet, with plenty of power for highway acceleration.—
Mark Phelan,
USA Today,
11 Sep. 2025
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The peak of hurricane season is here, and activity could soon ramp up, despite the relative quiet currently occurring in the tropics, according to meteorologists.—
Julia Jacobo,
ABC News,
10 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Once mastered, financial literacy is a powerful tool for business growth.—
Melissa Houston,
Forbes.com,
7 Sep. 2025
-
Hunter mastered both ends of the field in college, but the National Football League is a different beast.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
7 Sep. 2025
Verb
-
Deftones’ History on the Streaming Ranking Deftones first conquered the Hard Rock Streaming Songs list just last month.—
Hugh McIntyre,
Forbes.com,
6 Sep. 2025
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Shaquille O’Neal has dominated basketball courts, conquered television screens, and built an empire that spans everything from restaurants to real estate.—
Kimberly Wilson,
Essence,
5 Sep. 2025
Verb
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The excitement following a superb victory at Manchester City was quelled somewhat by a home defeat to Bournemouth, but optimism endures that Frank’s side can clinch a top-five spot.—
Jack Bantock,
New York Times,
4 Sep. 2025
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But that hasn’t quelled interest from surrounding communities to be the franchise’s next home.—
John Aguilar,
Denver Post,
22 Aug. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Subdued.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subdued. Accessed 14 Sep. 2025.
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