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subdue

[ suhb-doo, -dyoo ]
/ səbˈdu, -ˈdyu /
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See synonyms for: subdue / subdued / subdues / subduing on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object), sub·dued, sub·du·ing.
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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

synonym study for subdue

1. See defeat.

OTHER WORDS FROM subdue

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use subdue in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for subdue

subdue
/ (səbˈdjuː) /

verb -dues, -duing or -dued (tr)
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

Derived forms of subdue

subduable, adjectivesubduably, adverbsubdual, noun

Word Origin for subdue

C14 sobdue, from Old French soduire to mislead, from Latin subdūcere to remove; English sense influenced by Latin subdere to subject
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
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