subdue
Americanverb (used with object)
-
subdues,
present (3rd person singular)
-
subdued,
past participle, past
-
subduing
present participle
-
to conquer and bring into subjection.
Rome subdued Gaul.
-
to overpower by superior force; overcome.
-
to bring under mental or emotional control, as by persuasion or intimidation; render submissive.
- Synonyms:
- suppress, discipline, break, tame
-
to repress (feelings, impulses, etc.).
- Synonyms:
- suppress
-
to bring (land) under cultivation.
to subdue the wilderness.
-
to reduce the intensity, force, or vividness of (sound, light, color, etc.); tone down; soften.
- Antonyms:
- intensify
-
to allay (inflammation, infection, etc.).
verb
-
to establish ascendancy over by force
-
to overcome and bring under control, as by intimidation or persuasion
-
to hold in check or repress (feelings, emotions, etc)
-
to render less intense or less conspicuous
Synonym Usage
See defeat.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
subduablenessnoun
-
subdualnoun
-
subduernoun
-
presubdueverb (used with object)
-
subduableadjective
-
unsubduableadjective
-
subduablyadverb
-
subduinglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
subduesimple
-
subduessimple
-
have subduedperfect
-
has subduedperfect
-
am subduingprogressive
-
are subduingprogressive
-
is subduingprogressive
-
have been subduingperfect progressive
-
has been subduingperfect progressive
Past
-
subduedsimple
-
had subduedperfect
-
was subduingprogressive
-
were subduingprogressive
-
had been subduingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of subdue
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English so(b)duen, so(b)dewen, from unattested Anglo-French soduer “to overcome,” from Old French soduire “to deceive, seduce,” from Latin subdūcere “to withdraw”; meaning in English (and Anglo-French ) from Latin subdere “to place beneath, subdue”; see subduct
Explanation
To subdue is to hold back, put down, or defeat. A Doberman can be subdued with a bone, but subduing a yapping toy poodle can be a mail carrier's greatest daily challenge. You can use the verb subdue in ways ranging from subtle to very forceful. If someone is angry, you might subdue him with kind words that overcome his anger. If someone is coming at you with a giant karate chop, you may be able to subdue her with a secret weapon — a knee-snap–heel-kick-floor-drop. Sub-, as in submarine means "below" and subdue means to bring low — to keep down literally or to calm down emotionally.
Vocabulary lists containing subdue
Sojourner Truth's "Ain't I A Woman?" (1863)
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
100 SAT words Beginning with "S"
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"Common Sense," Vocabulary from the pamphlet
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Their venom and bites evolved to subdue prey that is far smaller than a human.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 2026
Seven years later, President Thomas Jefferson sent the fleet—three frigates and a schooner—to subdue pirates disrupting shipping along North Africa’s Barbary Coast.
From Barron's ● Jun. 5, 2026
Assassination attempts can also warp how journalists cover a president’s opposition, and subdue how that opposition behaves.
From Slate ● Apr. 26, 2026
The judge ruled officers have repeatedly violated previous court orders that only allow the weapon to be used to subdue protesters who pose a threat of violence.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 19, 2026
And he came to see the law as a struggle to subdue the violent passions not only in others but also in oneself.
From "Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann
We don’t yet know how MiniFlayer subdues its helper, or whether MindFlayer has evolved countermeasures.
From Salon ● Nov. 9, 2023
He cited Philippine national hero Jose Rizal’s description of justice “as the foremost virtue of the civilizing races. It subdues the barbarous nations while injustice arouses the weakest.”
From Seattle Times ● Mar. 2, 2023
Their engineering subdues torrential floods from heavy rains or snowmelt by slowing water.
From New York Times ● Sep. 6, 2022
Nathan, a rich Jewish trader, is wooed by Salah ad-Din to shore up the city’s treasury after the sultan subdues the Christian crusaders, sparing one, played with amusing energy by Drew Kopas.
From Washington Post ● Mar. 24, 2022
In a word, he is the centre of a little world, all anxious and eager about him, and even the old watchdog subdues his growl out of deference to his comfort.
From The Dodd Family Abroad, Vol. II by Lever, Charles James
Speaking at the scene, the BBC's Phillip Norton said it was a "subdued" atmosphere, with police and emergency services "dotted along the sea wall as far as the eye can see".
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
With employment not keeping pace with population growth, economists expect to see the unemployment rate rise over time, with wage growth remaining subdued.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 31, 2026
The moves to go public have come as the restaurant industry struggles with subdued demand, as higher prices keep shoppers anxious about their budgets.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026
"The subdued 1.5 percent annualized rise in GDP in Q2 underplays the economy's strength as it reflects a drag from rising imports and falling inventories that won't be sustained for long."
From Barron's ● Jul. 30, 2026
When he spoke again, his voice was low, tense, subdued.
From "The Chosen" by Chaim Potok
Sun Tzu, perhaps the most famous military strategist in human history, wrote in the fifth century B.C. that subduing an enemy without fighting was the height of military skill.
From Slate ● Apr. 13, 2026
Gigantic or tiny, fearsome or cuddly, stealing from the rich or subduing gangsters, they scamper through the film with lolling-tongued delight and discernible personalities.
From New York Times ● Mar. 28, 2024
That facts such as these weren’t obvious from the beginning only shows the power of myth in subduing skeptical thinking.
From Salon ● Nov. 4, 2023
He was the big presence the Lakers needed to be sure of subduing a team whose poor three-point shooting and overall ragged play didn’t match its enormous pride and championship pedigree.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 13, 2023
"School is a repressive institution, aimed at subduing the masses. Still and all, it's easier to send you than to have you underfoot. So off you go."
From "Jeremy Thatcher, Dragon Hatcher" by Bruce Coville
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
