subdued; subduing
1
: to conquer and bring into subjection : vanquish
2
: to bring under control especially by an exertion of the will : curb
subdued my foolish fears
3
: to bring (land) under cultivation
4
: to reduce the intensity or degree of : tone down
subduer
noun
Examples of subdue in a Sentence
The troops were finally able to subdue the rebel forces after many days of fighting.
He was injured while trying to subdue a violent drunk.
She struggled to subdue her fears.
Recent Examples on the Web
Subdued volatility Unlike traditional assets, bitcoin’s pops and drops were relatively subdued this week, which some investors took as a mark of its maturity.
—
Tanaya MacHeel, CNBC, 12 Apr. 2025
Up until last week, the president had been more subdued in his criticism of the central bank than in his first term.
—Colby Smith, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Persistently high interest rates will likely keep the housing market subdued, further weighing on RH's performance.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
The mood in the audience was also notably subdued during parts of De Luca and Abdy’s presentation — even when one of the world’s biggest stars, Leonardo DiCaprio, joined them on stage to promote Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subdue
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Tanaya MacHeel, CNBC, 12 Apr. 2025
Up until last week, the president had been more subdued in his criticism of the central bank than in his first term.
—Colby Smith, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Persistently high interest rates will likely keep the housing market subdued, further weighing on RH's performance.
—Trefis Team, Forbes.com, 4 Apr. 2025
The mood in the audience was also notably subdued during parts of De Luca and Abdy’s presentation — even when one of the world’s biggest stars, Leonardo DiCaprio, joined them on stage to promote Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another.
—Pamela McClintock, HollywoodReporter, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for subdue
Cite this Entry
“Subdue.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subdue. Accessed 18 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
subdue
verb
sub·due
səb-ˈd(y)ü 
subdued; subduing
1
: to overcome in battle
subdued the enemy
2
: to bring under control especially by willpower
subdued his fears
3
: to reduce the brightness or strength of : soften
tried to subdue the light
subduer
noun
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