tamed
Americanadjective
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(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.
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(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.
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(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.
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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.
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deprived of courage, ardor, or zest.
Tamed faith cannot dispel shame or reach out to lovingly reclaim someone who has gone astray.
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(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.
verb
Other Word Forms
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Opponents in the movie industry say the combined company would slash jobs in already-under-pressure Hollywood and reduce the number of films produced every year, while news media groups fret that CNN's independence could be tamed.
From Barron's ● Aug. 17, 2026
We learned about the annual return of swallows, admired blooming roses and citrus trees and absorbed a simple story: Spanish conquistadors and Catholic priests tamed a wild land, and we should follow their example.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 4, 2026
On a true pitch, small ground and with a lightning outfield, England could not be tamed.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
Although much of the series deals with trails blazed and frontiers tamed, a prime example of the show’s thesis-meets-synthesis is an episode on the rise of New York.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 2, 2026
Like a lion tamer she tamed twisting vines and nurtured bristling cacti.
From "The God of Small Things" by Arundhati Roy
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.
