subdue

[ suhb-doo, -dyoo ]

/ səbˈdu, -ˈdyu /

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

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.

to repress (feelings, impulses, etc.).

to bring (land) under cultivation: to subdue the wilderness.

to reduce the intensity, force, or vividness of (sound, light, color, etc.); tone down; soften.

to allay (inflammation, infection, etc.).

Nearby words

Origin of subdue

1350–1400; Middle English so(b)duen, so(b)dewen < Anglo-French *soduer to overcome, Old French soduire to deceive, seduce < Latin subdūcere to withdraw (see subduct); meaning in E (and Anglo-French) < Latin subdere to place beneath, subdue

SYNONYMS FOR subdue

1 subjugate, vanquish.

3 tame, break, discipline.

3, 4 suppress.

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ANTONYMS FOR subdue

4 awaken, arouse.

6 intensify.

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Related forms

sub·du·a·ble, adjectivesub·du·a·ble·ness, nounsub·du·a·bly, adverbsub·du·er, noun

sub·du·ing·ly, adverbpre·sub·due, verb (used with object), pre·sub·dued, pre·sub·du·ing.un·sub·du·a·ble, adjective

Synonym study

1. See defeat.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for subduing

Once he lunged at a man trying to rob a convenience store, subduing him with his bare hands.
Castro Street’s Hot Cop Is the Batman to Sexy Mug Shot Guy’s Joker|Itay Hod|July 9, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Manifestly Miss Longstreth had some difficulty in subduing her emotion.
The Lone Star Ranger|Zane Grey
Having consolidated the Nejd, Saud was now ready to undertake the greater task of subduing and purifying the Moslem world.
The New World of Islam|Lothrop Stoddard
Every means of subduing and restraining him was adopted; he was muzzled, blindfolded, and hobbled.
A New Illustrated Edition of J. S. Rarey's Art of Taming Horses|J. S. Rarey

And three nights and three days were they subduing the men that were in the city and taking the castle.
The Mabinogion|Lady Charlotte Guest
Evil spirits are punished because the fear of punishment is the one means of subduing evils in this state.
The Gist of Swedenborg|Emanuel Swedenborg

British Dictionary definitions for subduing

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 Formssubduable, 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

Word Origin and History for subduing

subdue

late 14c., "to conquer," from Old French souduire "deceive, seduce," from Latin subducere "draw, lead away, withdraw" (see subduce). The sense seems to have been taken in Anglo-French from Latin subdere. Subduct in the sense of "subtract" is from 1570s. Related: Subdued; subduing.

subdue

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

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Origin of subdue

Synonym study

Examples from the Web for subduing

British Dictionary definitions for subduing

subdue

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

Word Origin for subdue

Word Origin and History for subduing

subdue