51Թ

Advertisement

View synonyms for

tame

[teym]

adjective

tamer, tamest 
  1. changed from the wild or savage state; domesticated.

    a tame bear.

    Antonyms:
  2. without the savageness or fear of humans normal in wild animals; gentle, fearless, or without shyness, as if domesticated.

    That lion acts as tame as a house cat.

  3. tractable, docile, or submissive, as a person or the disposition.

    Synonyms: , ,
  4. lacking in excitement; dull; insipid.

    a very tame party.

    Synonyms: , , , ,
  5. spiritless or pusillanimous.

    Synonyms: , ,
  6. not to be taken very seriously; without real power or importance; serviceable but harmless.

    They kept a tame scientist around.

  7. brought into service; rendered useful and manageable; under control, as natural resources or a source of power.

  8. cultivated or improved by cultivation, as a plant or its fruit.



verb (used with object)

tamed, taming 
  1. to make tame; domesticate; make tractable.

    Synonyms: ,
  2. to deprive of courage, ardor, or zest.

  3. to deprive of interest, excitement, or attractiveness; make dull.

  4. to soften; tone down.

    Synonyms: , ,
  5. to harness or control; render useful, as a source of power.

  6. to cultivate, as land or plants.

verb (used without object)

tamed, taming 
  1. to become tame.

tame

/ ٱɪ /

adjective

  1. changed by man from a naturally wild state into a tractable, domesticated, or cultivated condition

  2. (of animals) not fearful of human contact

  3. lacking in spirit or initiative; meek or submissive

    a tame personality

  4. flat, insipid, or uninspiring

    a tame ending to a book

  5. slow-moving

    a tame current

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to make tame; domesticate

  2. to break the spirit of, subdue, or curb

  3. to tone down, soften, or mitigate

“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Discover More

Other 51Թ Forms

  • tamely adverb
  • tameness noun
  • tamer noun
  • overtame adjective
  • overtamely adverb
  • overtameness noun
  • untame adjective
  • untamely adverb
  • untameness noun
  • ˌٲˈٲ noun
  • ˈٲԱ noun
  • ˈٲ adjective
  • ˈٲ adjective
  • ˈٲ noun
  • ˈٲ adverb
Discover More

51Թ History and Origins

Origin of tame1

First recorded before 900; (adjective) Middle English; Old English tam; cognate with Dutch tam, German zahm, Old Norse tamr; (verb) Middle English tamen, derivative of the adjective; replacing Middle English temen “to tame,” Old English temian, derivative of tam; cognate with Old Norse temja, Gothic gatamjan; akin to Latin dz “to tame”
Discover More

51Թ History and Origins

Origin of tame1

Old English tam; related to Old Norse tamr, Old High German zam
Discover More

Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

While the field toiled on a day for golfing purists, Burns proved Oakmont could be tamed by making a mockery of its grisly challenge.

From

While the fallout from that night at the Volkswagen Arena was tame, the impact it had on the group was fierce.

From

They had a tame end to the season, but Pereira brought new unity, leading to a revival which included six straight top-flight wins for the first time since 1970.

From

Their response to antisemitism and Nazism is tame: Jewish women of German birth pass out ribbons reading “We Appeal to German Culture and Conscience.”

From

Self-scrutiny is a far more vicious beast to tame, and each woman must wrestle with that monster at some point.

From

Advertisement

Discover More

When To Use

What does tame mean?

When an animal is tame, it has been domesticated, a sense metaphorically extended to someone or something considered "subdued," "boring," or "mild."Tame is also a verb for putting something wild under control. 

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement


Tamburlainetameable