Adjacent Words

Subdue definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

SUBDUE, v.t.
1. To conquer by force or the exertion of superior power, and bring into permanent subjection; to reduce under dominion. Thus Cesar subdued the Gauls; Augustus subdued Egypt; the English subdued Canada. Subduing implies conquest or vanquishing, but it implies also more permanence of subjection to the conquering power, than either of these words.
I will subdue all thine enemies. 1 Chronicles 17.
2. To oppress; to crush; to sink; to overpower so as to disable from further resistance.
Nothing could have subdud nature to such a lowness, but his unkind daughters.
If aught were worthy to subdue the soul of man.
3. To tame; to break by conquering a refractory temper or evil passions; to render submissive; as, to subdue a stubborn child.
4. To conquer; to reduce to mildness; as, to subdue the temper or passions.
5. To overcome by persuasion or other mild means; as, to subdue opposition by argument or intreaties.
6. To overcome; to conquer; to captivate; as by charms.
7. To soften; to melt; to reduce to tenderness; as, to subdue ferocity by tears.
8. To overcome; to overpower and destroy the force of; as, medicines subdue a fever.
9. To make mellow; to break; as land; also, to destroy, as weeds.

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

v
1: put down by force or intimidation; "The government quashes any attempt of an uprising"; "China keeps down her dissidents very efficiently"; "The rich landowners subjugated the peasants working the land" [syn: repress, quash, keep down, subdue, subjugate, reduce]
2: to put down by force or authority; "suppress a nascent uprising"; "stamp down on littering"; "conquer one's desires" [syn: suppress, stamp down, inhibit, subdue, conquer, curb]
3: hold within limits and control; "subdue one's appetites"; "mortify the flesh" [syn: mortify, subdue, crucify]
4: get on top of; deal with successfully; "He overcame his shyness" [syn: overcome, get over, subdue, surmount, master]
5: make subordinate, dependent, or subservient; "Our wishes have to be subordinated to that of our ruler" [syn: subordinate, subdue]
6: correct by punishment or discipline [syn: tame, chasten, subdue]

Merriam Webster's

transitive verb (subdued; subduing) Etymology: Middle English sodewen, subduen, from Anglo-French soduire, subdure to lead astray, overcome, arrest (influenced in form and meaning by Latin subdere to subject), from Latin subducere to withdraw, remove stealthily Date: 14th century 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 Synonyms: see conquer • subduer noun

Oxford Reference Dictionary

v.tr. (subdues, subdued, subduing) 1 conquer, subjugate, or tame (an enemy, nature, one's emotions, etc.). 2 (as subdued adj.) softened; lacking in intensity; toned down (subdued light; in a subdued mood). Derivatives: subduable adj. subdual n. Etymology: ME sodewe f. OF so(u)duire f. L subducere (as SUB-, ducere lead, bring) used with the sense of subdere conquer (as SUB-, -dere put)

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Subdue Sub*due", v. t. [imp. & p. p. Subdued; p. pr. & vb. n. Subduing.] [OE. soduen, OF. sosduire to seduce, L. subtus below (fr. sub under) + ducere to lead. See Duke, and cf. Subduct.] 1. To bring under; to conquer by force or the exertion of superior power, and bring into permanent subjection; to reduce under dominion; to vanquish. I will subdue all thine enemies. --1 Chron. xvii. 10. 2. To overpower so as to disable from further resistance; to crush. Nothing could have subdued nature To such a lowness, but his unkind daughters. --Shak. If aught . . . were worthy to subdue The soul of man. --Milton. 3. To destroy the force of; to overcome; as, medicines subdue a fever. 4. To render submissive; to bring under command; to reduce to mildness or obedience; to tame; as, to subdue a stubborn child; to subdue the temper or passions. 5. To overcome, as by persuasion or other mild means; as, to subdue opposition by argument or entreaties. 6. To reduce to tenderness; to melt; to soften; as, to subdue ferocity by tears. 7. To make mellow; to break, as land; also, to destroy, as weeds. 8. To reduce the intensity or degree of; to tone down; to soften; as, to subdue the brilliancy of colors. Syn: To conquer; overpower; overcome; surmount; vanquish. See Conquer.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(subdues, subduing, subdued) 1. If soldiers or the police subdue a group of people, they defeat them or bring them under control by using force. Senior government officials admit they have not been able to subdue the rebels. VERB: V n 2. To subdue feelings means to make them less strong. He forced himself to subdue and overcome his fears. VERB: V n

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

v. a. 1. Conquer, subjugate, subject, overcome, overpower, vanquish, overbear. 2. Vanquish, beat, crush, defeat, rout, discomfit, worst, overpower, overcome, overbear, overwhelm, master. 3. Quell, surmount, foil, get the better of, get the upper hand of, put down, beat down. 4. Overpower, destroy, overcome, reduce, choke, choke down, suppress, repress. 5. Tame, subject, control, make submissive, bring under rule, break, make tractable, discipline. 6. Overcome, reduce, destroy the force of, break. 7. Melt, soften, mollify. 8. Break, make mellow. 9. Destroy, eradicate, root out.

Moby Thesaurus

abate, allay, alleviate, anesthetize, appease, asphyxiate, assuage, attemper, baffle, bank the fire, bear down, beat down, bend, benumb, blunt, bottle up, break, break down, bridle, bring low, bring to terms, calm, calm down, censor, chasten, check, choke off, clamp down on, compose, conquer, constrain, control, cool, cork, cork up, crack down on, cradle, crush, curb, cushion, damp, damp down, dampen, de-emphasize, deaden, deaden the pain, deafen, defeat, diminish, dominate, downplay, drown, dulcify, dull, ease, ease matters, even out, extenuate, extinguish, fell, flatten, fluff, foment, gag, gentle, give relief, hold down, hold in check, humble, humiliate, hush, jump on, keep down, keep in check, keep under, keep within bounds, kill, knead, laxate, lay, lenify, lessen, lighten, limber, limber up, loosen, lull, mash, massage, master, mellow, milden, mitigate, moderate, modulate, mollify, muffle, mute, muzzle, numb, obtund, overcome, overmaster, overpower, override, overwhelm, pacify, pad, palliate, play down, plump, poultice, pour balm into, pour oil on, pour water on, prostrate, pulp, put down, quash, quell, quench, quiet, reduce, reduce the temperature, relax, relieve, repress, rest, restrain, ride down, rock, rock to sleep, salve, shake up, shut down on, silence, sit down on, sit on, slacken, slake, slow down, smash, smooth, smooth down, smooth over, smoothen, smother, sober, sober down, soft-pedal, soften, soften up, soothe, squash, squelch, stabilize, stanch, steady, stifle, still, stop, strangle, stultify, stupe, subjugate, suffocate, supple, suppress, tame, temper, tenderize, throttle, tone down, trample down, trample underfoot, tranquilize, tread underfoot, triumph over, tune down, tyrannize, underplay, unman, vanquish, weaken