tamed

[ teymd ]

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.

verb

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

Other Words From

• un·tamed adjective
• well-tamed adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of tamed¹

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

Example Sentences

Winds are the tamest in days, with southerly breezes only occasionally eyeing a 15-mph burst.

From Washington Post

She selected a pair of nice jeans and a thin jacket, tamed her curly hair, then drove from Arlington to RedRocks, a pizza place in Columbia Heights.

From Washington Post

Honey tames the heat of fresh ginger, which spikes this fruity and festive nonalcoholic drink.

From Washington Post

It reminds me a lot of the GoPro Hypersmooth tech, which makes even vigorous motion seem tame.

From Popular-Science

Italy and France both tightened shutdown measures this week, while Greece announced a three-week lockdown to try to tame the virus.

From Washington Post

The arrogance of wealth and power, at home and abroad, is being tamed by civic virtues.

From The Daily Beast

They projected sexual charisma, to be sure, but it was a charisma that was tamed and domesticated for their youngest female fans.

From The Daily Beast

You can draw a fairly straight line from Helms to Karl Rove, who tamed and adapted the approach for a national audience.

From The Daily Beast

A new book tells the story of John Randel Jr., who tamed Manhattan with its famous grid.

From The Daily Beast

Luckily, says Hounsou, the direction society is moving makes this the perfect time for that Wild West to be tamed.

From The Daily Beast

Owen thought he had better let it alone; and Amy tamed the tiger at once by giving it a bit of bread from her basket.

From Project Gutenberg

"I thought we had the legislature up yonder tamed," he said, angrily, as he entered the office.

From Project Gutenberg

I suppose, in this tamed England of ours, we should feel it artificial; we should fear to let ourselves go.

From Project Gutenberg

The cougar is easily tamed, and rendered nearly as familiar as domestic animals.

From Project Gutenberg

Though taken ever so young he is not to be tamed; he is naturally ferocious.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• beaten
• crushed