Tame

/teɪm/

Meaning & Definition

verb

to domesticate or bring under control; to make less wild.

They worked hard to tame the horse before riding it.

to soften or calm down; to reduce intensity or aggressiveness.

The new training program helped to tame the employees' aggressive tendencies.

to make something less exciting or adventurous.

The managers decided to tame the edgy advertising campaign to appeal to a wider audience.

adjective

domesticated or lacking in wildness; not dangerous or aggressive.

The once wild animal became tame after living with humans for several years.

exhibiting a lack of excitement; bland or unremarkable.

The story was a bit tame, lacking the thrilling twists I expected.

Middle English 'tame', from Old English 'tam', of Germanic origin.

Tame the wild side

To control one's more reckless impulses.

Tame your fears

To overcome or lessen one's anxiety.

Tame as a kitten

Very gentle or submissive.

domesticate

To train a wild animal to live with humans.

subdue

To bring under control or to conquer.

gentle

Having a mild or kind nature.

To make something less intense

I had to tame my excitement during the meeting.

To chill out or relax

You need to tame it down a bit before you get into trouble.