Synonyms of subdued

subdued 1 of 2

adjective

səb-ˈdüd 

as in muted

not excessively showy

the wedding was a subdued affair, with only close family and friends attending

Synonyms & Similar Words

• muted
• restrained
• quiet
• understated
• repressed
• conservative
• low-key
• simple
• proper
• unpretentious
• sober
• toned-down
• appropriate
• unflashy
• fitting
• suitable
• modest
• handsome
• plain
• graceful
• becoming
• unadorned
• inconspicuous
• unobtrusive
• fit
• undecorated
• sensible
• unnoticeable
• drab
• tasteful
• practical
• refined
• mousy

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• loud
• flamboyant
• gaudy
• noisy
• garish
• flashy
• ostentatious
• glitzy
• swank
• splashy
• flaring
• meretricious
• vulgar
• tawdry
• tacky
• tasteless
• fancy
• inelegant
• gilded
• ornate
• trashy
• razzle-dazzle
• baroque
• graceless
• overwrought
• frilly
• rococo
• overdone
• overdecorated

subdued

2 of 2

verb

past tense of subdue

1

as in defeated

to achieve a victory over

subdued her fear of the dark by joining a club for spelunkers

Synonyms & Similar Words

• defeated
• mastered
• overcame
• conquered
• beat
• took
• dispatched
• got
• stopped
• surmounted
• bested
• succeeded
• trimmed
• worsted
• prevailed (over)
• overmatched
• got the better of
• licked
• upended
• won (against)
• triumphed (over)
• overwhelmed
• got around
• finished
• swept
• crushed
• buried
• upset
• did down
• slaughtered
• skunked
• surpassed
• flattened
• knocked for a loop
• whipped
• annihilated
• overbore
• overpowered
• subjugated
• excelled
• vanquished
• flourished
• exceeded
• scored
• thrashed
• routed
• clobbered
• bombed
• trounced
• capped
• blew out
• skinned
• topped
• shellacked
• waxed
• transcended
• smoked
• eclipsed
• blew away
• edged (out)
• creamed
• walloped
• outstripped
• snowed under
• broke
• outshone
• pipped
• knocked over
• bettered
• outdid
• overthrew
• outdistanced
• unseated
• nosed out
• knocked off
• drubbed
• aced (out)
• overtopped
• outfought

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• lost (to)
• fell
• went down
• failed
• collapsed
• gave up
• folded
• washed out
• went under
• flopped
• flunked

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

• dominated
• conquered
• subjected
• defeated
• overpowered
• overcame
• subjugated
• vanquished
• pacified
• reduced
• enslaved
• subordinated
• crushed
• beat
• suppressed
• smashed
• whipped
• annihilated
• quelled
• routed
• thrashed
• licked
• prevailed (over)
• repressed
• triumphed (over)
• silenced
• clobbered
• trounced
• smothered
• mowed (down)
• squelched
• quashed
• squashed
• walloped
• drubbed
• snuffed (out)
• skunked
• put down
• broke
• cracked down (on)
• clamped down (on)

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• liberated
• released
• freed
• discharged
• emancipated
• sprang
• enfranchised
• unbound
• manumitted
• unfettered
• unchained
• uncaged

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

• suppressed
• quelled
• repressed
• silenced
• crushed
• stifled
• sat on
• quashed
• destroyed
• extinguished
• squashed
• squelched
• overcame
• snuffed (out)
• slapped down
• cracked down (on)
• clamped down (on)
• put down
• demolished
• dominated
• quenched
• throttled
• obliterated
• strangled
• decimated
• doused
• smothered
• ruined
• overwhelmed
• wrecked
• subjugated
• annihilated
• overpowered
• vanquished
• conquered
• exterminated
• wiped out
• devastated
• smashed
• wasted
• desolated
• put out
• nuked
• rubbed out

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

• aided
• assisted
• helped
• supported
• backed
• provoked
• stirred
• abetted
• propped up
• whipped (up)
• encouraged
• instigated
• cultivated
• advanced
• promoted
• incited
• fostered
• forwarded
• nurtured
• furthered
• fomented
• nourished

Example Sentences

Recent Examples of subdued

Adjective

Despite its subdued colorway, the knee-length dress is covered entirely in beadwork. — Kelsey Stiegman, InStyle, 25 Aug. 2026

Unemployment continued to fall while inflation remained subdued. — Joao Gomes, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026

Verb

Prosecutors said bystanders subdued Arredondo-Garcia until authorities arrived. — Rosalio Ahumada, Sacbee.com, 21 Aug. 2026

Pearls are considered the most subdued of jewels, second only to the jet jewelry to which Victorian women were limited during their long periods of formal mourning. — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 18 Aug. 2026