tamed

American  

[teymd] / teɪmd /

adjective

1. (of animals) changed from the wild or savage state, so as to be gentle and unafraid of humans; domesticated.

   If released into the wild, a tamed lion is an easy target for hunters.

2. (of a person or disposition) made tractable, docile, or submissive.

   My whole life I have struggled not to become the tamed child of institutionalized education.

3. (of natural resources, etc.) brought under control and into service; made useful and manageable.

   When the dam was complete and the tamed river swelled into a lake, steamboats plied its waters for excursions.

4. deprived of excitement, interest, attractiveness, or risk; made safe and dull.

   According to Kloosterman, a “fully tamed city” is not just boring, but also stiffening—it stifles flexibility.

5. deprived of courage, ardor, or zest.

   Tamed faith cannot dispel shame or reach out to lovingly reclaim someone who has gone astray.

6. (of land or plants) cultivated.

   The vine is a tamed plant; its growth rate, amount of foliage, and fruit production are closely controlled by pruning and thinning.

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verb

1. the simple past tense and past participle of tame.

Other Word Forms

• untamed adjective
• well-tamed adjective

Etymology

Origin of tamed

First recorded in 1580–90; tame + -ed ² ( def. ) for the adjective senses; tame + -ed ¹ ( def. ) for the verb sense

Example Sentences

Cities are squalid crime hives that need to be tamed or abandoned in the Sheridanverse, whereas small towns and Western vistas are quaint canvases fertile with possibility.

From Salon

Better land management, farming practices and suppression have tamed global fires.

From The Wall Street Journal

Sondheim’s were instead tamed by his art, Okrent suggests, which shaped his “textured, contradictory, troubling, and gratifying life.”

From Los Angeles Times

“As a result, economists warn that inflation has not yet been tamed—even as the labor market continues to waver. That all adds up to a big headache for Fed officials.”

From Barron's

Grandpa frowned and said, “I don’t believe that monkey is as wild as you think he is. Once an animal has been tamed, he doesn’t ever forget it.”

From Literature

Related Words

• beaten
• crushed