tamed
Americanadjective
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(of animals) changed from the wild or savage state, so as to be gentle and unafraid of humans; domesticated.
If released into the wild, a tamed lion is an easy target for hunters.
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(of a person or disposition) made tractable, docile, or submissive.
My whole life I have struggled not to become the tamed child of institutionalized education.
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(of natural resources, etc.) brought under control and into service; made useful and manageable.
When the dam was complete and the tamed river swelled into a lake, steamboats plied its waters for excursions.
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deprived of excitement, interest, attractiveness, or risk; made safe and dull.
According to Kloosterman, a “fully tamed city” is not just boring, but also stiffening—it stifles flexibility.
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deprived of courage, ardor, or zest.
Tamed faith cannot dispel shame or reach out to lovingly reclaim someone who has gone astray.
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(of land or plants) cultivated.
The vine is a tamed plant; its growth rate, amount of foliage, and fruit production are closely controlled by pruning and thinning.
verb
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of tamed
First recorded in 1580–90; tame + -ed 2 ( def. ) for the adjective senses; tame + -ed 1 ( def. ) for the verb sense
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.
We learned about the annual return of swallows, admired blooming roses and citrus trees and absorbed a simple story: Spanish conquistadors and Catholic priests tamed a wild land, and we should follow their example.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2026
On a true pitch, small ground and with a lightning outfield, England could not be tamed.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
If housing inflation doesn’t cooperate, it leaves officials without much hope that inflationary pressures can be tamed in the near-term.
From Barron's ● May 11, 2026
Cities are squalid crime hives that need to be tamed or abandoned in the Sheridanverse, whereas small towns and Western vistas are quaint canvases fertile with possibility.
From Salon ● Mar. 23, 2026
The day was warm, a little windy, and leaf shadows, supple emanations from the tree boughs that brushed the cell’s barred window, tantalized Perry’s tamed squirrel.
From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote
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.
