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:
The G.L.O.V.E. delivers a shock that is not as strong as that of a Taser, another device used by law enforcement to subdue suspects.
From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026
Their venom and bites evolved to subdue prey that is far smaller than a human.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 4, 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 land wasn’t empty, and Native American tribes fought fiercely to defend it in alliance with the British, leading Washington to dispatch multiple punitive expeditions to subdue them and exert American control.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 24, 2026
The larger ggeh depend solely on this notion, that the lessons of the culture will be stronger than a momentary lack, can subdue any individual weakness or want.
From "Native Speaker" by Chang-rae Lee
We don’t yet know how MiniFlayer subdues its helper, or whether MindFlayer has evolved countermeasures.
From Salon ● Nov. 9, 2023
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
One half of this cycle subdues tides, making the high tides lower and the low tides higher.
From Seattle Times ● Jul. 14, 2021
A masterpiece of bromantic woes, the movie subdues toxic masculinity and makes a case for men’s often dismissed necessity for platonic companionship.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 11, 2020
“The brave man is not he who feels no fear, For that were stupid and irrational; But he whose noble soul its fear subdues, And bravely dares the danger nature shrinks from.”
From Joscelyn Cheshire A Story of Revolutionary Days in the Carolinas by Sara Beaumont Kennedy
Last week’s weak labor market data combined with this week’s subdued consumer and wholesale inflation data have prompted markets to trim U.S. rate-hike bets.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
At the point the light became muted and subdued, and the noise from the crowd softened as they took in the spectacle.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
“Grades and recoveries are expected to be subdued during commissioning,” it says.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
Next attributed the results to warmer weather, the release of some pent-up demand in the Middle East and Northern Europe after a subdued first quarter, and a higher profitable marketing spend.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 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
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
Young was attempting to be “playful,” according to court records, but the other agent responded by disarming and physically subduing Young, who was ordered to surrender his gun and soon retired.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 4, 2025
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
There was no subduing Kali, as I well knew.
From "Nectar in a Sieve" by Kamala Markandaya
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.
