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
Brendan Ahern, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Fans who attended Monday’s contest noticed a subdued scene.
—The Athletic Nba Staff, The Athletic, 13 Jan. 2025
Jen Cason, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Dec. 2024
Advertisement Trading was expected to be subdued this week with a thin slate of economic data on the calendar.
—Alex Veiga, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for subdued
Adjective
Southbound Connect accounted for 49% of today’s Hong Kong turnover, indicating Mainland investors' reaction to the Trump comments was far less subdued and highlighting the real issue in China, which is real estate.
—Brendan Ahern, Forbes.com, 23 Apr. 2025
Fans who attended Monday’s contest noticed a subdued scene.
—The Athletic Nba Staff, The Athletic, 13 Jan. 2025
Verb
The wreaths range from classic and subdued to colorful and illuminated, and they can be used year after year thanks to their faux-yet-realistic-looking materials.
—Jen Cason, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Dec. 2024
Advertisement Trading was expected to be subdued this week with a thin slate of economic data on the calendar.
—Alex Veiga, Los Angeles Times, 26 Dec. 2024
See All Example Sentences for subdued
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subdued
Adjective
-
This is an invitation to express yourself more openly, despite external pressures from others to stay quiet or muted.—
Meghan Rose,
Glamour,
1 May 2025
-
As for Honeywell, the stock’s muted performance is to be expected as well.—
Morgan Chittum,
CNBC,
1 May 2025
Verb
-
The Ferrari driver nailed his start from pole and dominated the end of the sprint race in what was an impressive drive.—
Luke Smith,
The Athletic,
22 Mar. 2025
-
Give me Tennesee to cover without too much trouble against a UCLA team that dominated its first-round foe, Utah State, but went just 23-10 (13-7 Big Ten) this year.—
Thomas G. Moukawsher,
Newsweek,
22 Mar. 2025
Verb
-
Caspar suppressed his urge to respond.—
Brandon Taylor,
The Atlantic,
4 Jan. 2025
-
Ukrainians are uncovering their country’s culinary history – and how its distinctive features were suppressed by the authorities during Soviet rule.—
Howard LaFranchi,
The Christian Science Monitor,
30 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
In the rich and frequently chaotic history of Marseille, there can have been fewer more apt demonstrations of the club’s inherent tendency towards turbulence than the decision to head to Rome for some peace and quiet in the same week as the death of the Pope.—
Tom Williams,
New York Times,
28 Apr. 2025
-
And while Bicester Heritage acts as a quiet and calm but highly productive group of car-adjacent businesses during the week, the Scramble sees thousands of gearheads descend.—
Alistair Charlton,
Forbes.com,
28 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Service is friendly but discreet, something the Swiss have mastered like few others.—
Everett Potter,
Forbes.com,
10 Apr. 2025
-
That that's something that's really, really hard to replicate, and he's really mastered it.—
Dalton Ross,
EW.com,
8 Apr. 2025
Verb
-
Scarlett Johansson has conquered the superhero franchise, been nominated for several prestigious awards and years ago made her way into Saturday Night Live’s prestigious Five-Timers Club.—
Kevin Dolak,
The Hollywood Reporter,
7 Jan. 2025
-
By contrast, Xinjiang was conquered in the mid-18th century by the Qing dynasty (around the same time the British were marching on India) and then claimed by the current People’s Republic of China after its formation in 1949.—
Michael Schuman,
The Atlantic,
6 Jan. 2025
Verb
-
From there, though, the Magic closed within 90-80 late in the third period with a 12-0 run that was quelled by a Pelle Larsson three-point play.—
Ira Winderman,
Sun Sentinel,
22 Dec. 2024
-
But the speculation in space, nuclear, mobility, and quantum names must be quelled to get a real ending to this.—
Jim Cramer,
CNBC,
20 Dec. 2024
Adjective
-
Its packaging is understated and classic—an elegant glass bottle with restrained branding, reflecting the confidence of a product that doesn't need to shout to be noticed.—
Hudson Lindenberger,
Forbes.com,
25 Apr. 2025
-
The restrained horror of Shoojit Sircar’s Sardar Udham, which had an extended, shiver-inducing sequence set in Jallianwala Bagh, has no place here.—
Anupama Chopra,
HollywoodReporter,
24 Apr. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Subdued.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subdued. Accessed 12 May. 2025.
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