subdued
Americanadjective
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quiet; inhibited; repressed; controlled.
After the argument he was much more subdued.
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lowered in intensity or strength; reduced in fullness of tone, as a color or voice; muted.
subdued light; wallpaper in subdued greens.
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(of land) not marked by any striking features, as mountains or cliffs.
a subdued landscape.
adjective
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cowed, passive, or shy
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gentle or quiet
a subdued whisper
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(of colours, etc) not harsh or bright
subdued lighting
Other Word Forms
- half-subdued adjective
- self-subdued adjective
- subduedly adverb
- subduedness noun
- unsubdued adjective
Etymology
Origin of subdued
Explanation
The adjective subdued refers to something, like a sound, that has a lowered intensity. Your loud conversation with a friend in the back of the classroom is likely to become subdued when the teacher passes out the exams. The word subdued is related to the Latin word, subdere, which means "to subtract from." Something that is subdued has lost some of its strength or intensity. Subdued lighting might create a romantic mood at a restaurant. And a subdued child is one who is no longer having a fit. A subdued economy is probably pretty sluggish.
Vocabulary lists containing subdued
"The Monkey's Paw" by W. W. Jacobs
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The SAT: Multiple-Meaning Words, List 6
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Monster
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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.
Mr. Cheadle matches the subdued gravity of Ms. Edebiri’s turn, although his tender solicitude has an affecting paternal pride and warmth.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 17, 2026
A subdued economy leads to a subdued, restless, perhaps cantankerous electorate.
From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026
Data from Vanda Research and others have shown that retail buying has been subdued lately, robbing the market of what had become a critical source of demand for stocks.
From MarketWatch • Apr. 11, 2026
“Declining property prices continue to erode household wealth, suggesting that consumption will likely remain subdued in the near term,” DBS’s economics team said.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 10, 2026
We have a subdued lunch, and I wonder if Tats and I will end up muted like Sandra by the time school lets out next week.
From "Saints and Misfits" by S.K. Ali
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.
