subdued
Americanadjective
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quiet; inhibited; repressed; controlled.
After the argument he was much more subdued.
-
lowered in intensity or strength; reduced in fullness of tone, as a color or voice; muted.
subdued light; wallpaper in subdued greens.
-
(of land) not marked by any striking features, as mountains or cliffs.
a subdued landscape.
adjective
-
cowed, passive, or shy
-
gentle or quiet
a subdued whisper
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(of colours, etc) not harsh or bright
subdued lighting
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of subdued
Explanation
The adjective subdued refers to something, like a sound, that has a lowered intensity. Your loud conversation with a friend in the back of the classroom is likely to become subdued when the teacher passes out the exams. The word subdued is related to the Latin word, subdere, which means "to subtract from." Something that is subdued has lost some of its strength or intensity. Subdued lighting might create a romantic mood at a restaurant. And a subdued child is one who is no longer having a fit. A subdued economy is probably pretty sluggish.
Vocabulary lists containing subdued
"The Monkey's Paw" by W. W. Jacobs
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The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 6
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Monster
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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.
It was a rather subdued affair, with a smaller turnout than when Moses Itauma and Filip Hrgovic weighed in at the same venue in August.
From BBC ● Oct. 16, 2026
Figures Wednesday showed consumer price inflation remained subdued last month and has been stuck below Beijing's two percent target for more than three years.
From Barron's ● Oct. 15, 2026
Hence, the brokerage projects subdued cash collections of 14.4 billon baht, 14.8 billion baht, and 15.5 billion baht in 2026, 2027, and 2028, respectively.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
“The symptoms have subdued a lot, especially when I was on the IL, spending that time just being able to reduce the symptoms,” Ohtani said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
I’m sure she isn’t as subdued as you’re making her out to be.
From "Please Ignore Vera Dietz" by A.S. King
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
