tame

¹tame

adj \ˈtām\

tam·ertam·est

Definition of TAME

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>

— tame·ly adverb

— tame·ness noun

Examples of TAME

1. The island's birds are quite tame.
2. They ran a pretty tame campaign.
3. Some people were shocked by the movie, but I found the story pretty tame.
4. Members of the audience were too tame to interrupt the speaker.

Origin of TAME

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

First Known Use: before 12th century

Related to TAME

Synonyms: domestic, domesticated, tamed

Antonyms: feral, nondomesticated, savage, undomesticated, untamed, wild

Related Words: broken, halterbroken, housebroken, trained; docile, familiar, gentle, semidomesticated; subdued, submissive

Near Antonyms: unbroken, untrained; wildish

see all synonyms and antonyms

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Other Animal Husbandry Terms

apiary, bantam, calico, girth, hogwash, mast, rut

Rhymes with TAME

aim, blame, came, claim, dame, fame, flame, frame, game, hame, kame, lame, maim, name, same, shame, wame