tame
Americanadjective
-
changed from the wild or savage state; domesticated.
a tame bear.
- Antonyms:
- wild
-
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.
-
tractable, docile, or submissive, as a person or the disposition.
-
lacking in excitement; dull; insipid.
a very tame party.
-
spiritless or pusillanimous.
- Synonyms:
- fainthearted, dastardly, cowardly
-
not to be taken very seriously; without real power or importance; serviceable but harmless.
They kept a tame scientist around.
-
brought into service; rendered useful and manageable; under control, as natural resources or a source of power.
-
cultivated or improved by cultivation, as a plant or its fruit.
verb (used with object)
-
to make tame; domesticate; make tractable.
-
to deprive of courage, ardor, or zest.
-
to deprive of interest, excitement, or attractiveness; make dull.
-
to soften; tone down.
-
to harness or control; render useful, as a source of power.
-
to cultivate, as land or plants.
verb (used without object)
adjective
-
changed by man from a naturally wild state into a tractable, domesticated, or cultivated condition
-
(of animals) not fearful of human contact
-
lacking in spirit or initiative; meek or submissive
a tame personality
-
flat, insipid, or uninspiring
a tame ending to a book
-
slow-moving
a tame current
verb
-
to make tame; domesticate
-
to break the spirit of, subdue, or curb
-
to tone down, soften, or mitigate
Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
- overtame adjective
- overtamely adverb
- overtameness noun
- tamability noun
- tamable adjective
- tameless adjective
- tamely adverb
- tameness noun
- tamer noun
- untame adjective
- untamely adverb
- untameness noun
Etymology
Origin of tame
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”
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.
The track starts relatively tame with a melodic synth sequence, and then sounds crash in one after another until it’s full electromania.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026
Real Madrid forward Diaz was trusted with the penalty, but his tame 'Panenka' effort was caught by Senegal keeper Edouard Mendy who barely had to move, and Ndala immediately blew his whistle for full-time.
From BBC • Mar. 17, 2026
Given how disruptive the 1970s oil shock was for the U.S. economy and markets, recent moves in oil and equities prices have looked relatively tame.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 16, 2026
The European Central Bank is in a more difficult position and could be forced to raise interest rates in order to tame inflation even if growth is weak.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026
The birds are so tame we pluck them out of the bushes with our hands, the sea is teeming with fish, and the trees are full of fruit.
From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone
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.
