What does "subdue" mean?
To overcome, quieten, or bring under control.
Subdue
/səbˈdu/ verb
verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: To overcome, quieten, or bring under control.
- Grammar: subdue is listed as verb.
- Nearest alternatives: conquer, abate, allay, alleviate.
- Useful contrasts: blazoning, glitters, shrilling.
- Usage evidence: There is, perhaps, not one of our natural passions so hard to subdue as vanity.
How to use "subdue"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "subdue" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "subdue" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "subdue" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "subdue" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "subdue" is acting as verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "conquer" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "subdue", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Verb
- 1 To overcome, quieten, or bring under control. transitive
"And when their ſcattered armie is ſubdu’d: And you march on their ſlaughtered carkaſſes, Share equally the gold that bought their liues, And liue like Gentlmen in Perſea, […]"
- 2 correct by punishment or discipline wordnet
- 3 To bring (a country) under control by force. transitive
"In the run-up to his return to the White House next Monday, Mr. Trump has rattled the world, and America’s neighborhood in particular, with a list of objectives – buying Greenland, seizing the Panama Canal, making Canada the 51st state – that treat friendly nations as weak interlocutors and impediments to be subdued."
- 4 bring under control by force or authority wordnet
- 5 make subordinate, dependent, or subservient wordnet
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 get on top of; deal with successfully wordnet
- 7 hold within limits and control wordnet
- 8 put down by force or intimidation wordnet
Example
"There is, perhaps, not one of our natural passions so hard to subdue as vanity."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "subdue"?
Common synonyms include: conquer, abate, allay, alleviate, anesthetize, appease.
How do you use "subdue" in a sentence?
There is, perhaps, not one of our natural passions so hard to subdue as vanity.
How do you pronounce "subdue"?
Pronounced /səbˈdu/.
Etymology
From Middle English subdewen, subduen, sodewen, from Old French souduire, from Latin subdūcō (“to draw away”), perhaps influenced by subdō (“to subdue, subject”).