tame

1 of 2

adjective

ˈtām 

tamer; tamest

1

: reduced from a state of native wildness especially so as to be tractable and useful to humans : domesticated

tame animals

2

: made docile and submissive : subdued

3

: lacking spirit, zest, interest, or the capacity to excite : insipid

a tame campaign

tamely adverb

tameness noun

tame

2 of 2

verb

tamed; taming

transitive verb

1

a

: to reduce from a wild to a domestic state

b

: to subject to cultivation

c

: to bring under control : harness

2

: to deprive of spirit : humble, subdue

the once revolutionary … party, long since tamed

—The Times Literary Supplement (London)

3

: to tone down : soften

tamed the language in the play

intransitive verb

: to become tame

tamable adjective

or tameable

ˈtā-mə-bəl 

tamer noun

Synonyms

Adjective

• domestic
• domesticated
• tamed

Verb

• bridle
• check
• constrain
• contain
• control
• curb
• govern
• hold
• inhibit
• keep
• measure
• pull in
• regulate
• rein (in)
• restrain
• rule

Examples of tame in a Sentence

Adjective

The island's birds are quite tame.

They ran a pretty tame campaign.

Some people were shocked by the movie, but I found the story pretty tame.

Members of the audience were too tame to interrupt the speaker.

Verb

It took a while to tame the horse.

the people who tamed the Wild West

He struggled to tame his temper.

The government needs to do something to tame inflation.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

African Penguin—Found In The Southern Coast Of Africa Along the southern coast of Namibia and South Africa, a penguin species is notable for being relatively tame, allowing close approaches by humans. —Scott Travers, Forbes, 23 Nov. 2024

The naysayers were right about one thing: Our gatherings are tamer and involve little to no wine, but my internal organs are grateful. —Beth Ann Mayer, Parents, 16 Oct. 2024

Verb

But again, there is a difference between human and animal proximity, being tamed, and being fully domesticated. —Paul Smaglik, Discover Magazine, 4 Dec. 2024

The smoky fat of the bacon helps tame the natural bitterness of the sprouts, while shallot, garlic, and buttery panko breadcrumbs provide additional texture and flavor. —Alana Al-Hatlani, Southern Living, 24 Nov. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Middle English, from Old English tam; akin to Old High German zam tame, Latin domare to tame, Greek damnanai

First Known Use

Adjective

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

13th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Kids Definition

tame

1 of 2 adjective

ˈtām 

tamer; tamest

1

: changed from the wild state so as to become useful and obedient to human beings : domesticated

a tame elephant

2

: made gentle and obedient

3

: lacking spirit or interest : dull

tamely adverb

tameness noun

tame

2 of 2 verb

tamed; taming

1

a

: to make or become tame

tame a lion

b

: to subject to cultivation

wilderness tamed by farmers

2

: to bring under control : subdue

tame your temper

tamer noun