tame

[teym]

adjective

tamer, tamest 

1. changed from the wild or savage state; domesticated.

   a tame bear.

   Antonyms: wild

2. without the savageness or fear of humans normal in wild animals; gentle, fearless, or without shyness, as if domesticated.

   That lion acts as tame as a house cat.

3. tractable, docile, or submissive, as a person or the disposition.

   Synonyms: yielding, obedient, meek

4. lacking in excitement; dull; insipid.

   a very tame party.

   Synonyms: tiresome, tedious, boring, vapid, flat

5. spiritless or pusillanimous.

   Synonyms: fainthearted, dastardly, cowardly

6. not to be taken very seriously; without real power or importance; serviceable but harmless.

   They kept a tame scientist around.

7. brought into service; rendered useful and manageable; under control, as natural resources or a source of power.

8. cultivated or improved by cultivation, as a plant or its fruit.

verb (used with object)

tamed, taming 

1. to make tame; domesticate; make tractable.

   Synonyms: subdue, break

2. to deprive of courage, ardor, or zest.

3. to deprive of interest, excitement, or attractiveness; make dull.

4. to soften; tone down.

   Synonyms: mollify, moderate, calm

5. to harness or control; render useful, as a source of power.

6. to cultivate, as land or plants.

verb (used without object)

tamed, taming 

1. to become tame.

tame

/ teɪm /

adjective

1. changed by man from a naturally wild state into a tractable, domesticated, or cultivated condition

2. (of animals) not fearful of human contact

3. lacking in spirit or initiative; meek or submissive

   a tame personality

4. flat, insipid, or uninspiring

   a tame ending to a book

5. slow-moving

   a tame current

verb

1. to make tame; domesticate

2. to break the spirit of, subdue, or curb

3. to tone down, soften, or mitigate

Other Word Forms

• tamely adverb
• tameness noun
• tamer noun
• overtame adjective
• overtamely adverb
• overtameness noun
• untame adjective
• untamely adverb
• untameness noun
• tamability noun
• tamable adjective
• tameless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of tame¹

First recorded before 900; (adjective) Middle English; Old English tam; cognate with Dutch tam, German zahm, Old Norse tamr; (verb) Middle English tamen, derivative of the adjective; replacing Middle English temen “to tame,” Old English temian, derivative of tam; cognate with Old Norse temja, Gothic gatamjan; akin to Latin domāre “to tame”

Word History and Origins

Origin of tame¹

Old English tam; related to Old Norse tamr, Old High German zam

Example Sentences

And “Let us dedicate ourselves to what the Greeks wrote so many years ago: To tame the savageness of man and make gentle the life of this world.”

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Naturally, the lady’s unexpected presence in the tree had attracted the squirrel’s attention, and being nearly tame, the hungry scamp had come right up to her to beg for treats.

Read more on Literature

“Even Dr. Westminster would have a hard time taming such a wild creature as Lady Constance,” Penelope thought as she watched the scene unfold.

Read more on Literature

Market strategists at the time—pointing to falling interest rates, rising productivity and tame inflation—saw little reason for the party to end.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

So does badgering the Fed to cut rates before inflation is tamed.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• conquer 
• curb 
• pacify 
• restrain 
• soften 
• subdue 
• suppress 
• temper 
• vanquish 

When To Use

What does tame mean?

When an animal is tame, it has been domesticated, a sense metaphorically extended to someone or something considered "subdued," "boring," or "mild."Tame is also a verb for putting something wild under control.