tame

UK: /ˈteɪm/ US: /teɪm/ ,(tām)

Inflections of 'tame' (adj):

tamer

adj comparative

tamest

adj superlative

Inflections of 'tame' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

tames

v 3rd person singular

taming

v pres p

tamed

v past

tamed

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

tame /teɪm/   adj., tam•er, tam•est, v., tamed, tam•ing. 
adj. 

1. changed from the wild or savage state;
   gentle:
   a tame tiger.
2. giving in easily, as to authority.
3. lacking in excitement;
   dull:
   a pretty tame party.

v. [~ + object]

4. to make tame;
   domesticate:
   to tame wild animals for the circus.
5. to deprive of interest or excitement;
   make dull.
6. to harness or control:
   to tame the power of the atom.

tam•a•ble, tame•a•ble, adj. 
tame•ly, adv. 
tame•ness, n. [uncountable]
tam•er, n. [countable]

: a lion tamer.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

tame (tām),  adj., tam•er, tam•est, v., tamed, tam•ing. 

adj. 

1. changed from the wild or savage state;
   domesticated:
   a tame bear.
2. without the savageness or fear of humans normal in wild animals;
   gentle, fearless, or without shyness, as if domesticated:
   That lion acts as tame as a house cat.
3. tractable, docile, or submissive, as a person or the disposition.
4. lacking in excitement;
   dull;
   insipid:
   a very tame party.
5. spiritless or pusillanimous.
6. not to be taken very seriously;
   without real power or importance;
   serviceable but harmless:
   They kept a tame scientist around.
7. brought into service;
   rendered useful and manageable;
   under control, as natural resources or a source of power.
8. cultivated or improved by cultivation, as a plant or its fruit.

v.t. 

9. to make tame;
   domesticate;
   make tractable.
10. to deprive of courage, ardor, or zest.
11. to deprive of interest, excitement, or attractiveness;
    make dull.
12. to soften;
    tone down.
13. to harness or control;
    render useful, as a source of power.
14. Agriculture, Botany to cultivate, as land or plants.

v.i. 

15. to become tame.

• bef. 900; (adjective, adjectival) Middle English; Old English tam; cognate with Dutch tam, German zahm, Old Norse tamr; (verb, verbal) Middle English tamen, derivative of the adjective, adjectival; replacing Middle English temen to tame, Old English temian, derivative of tam; cognate with Old Norse temja, Gothic gatamjan; akin to Latin domāre to tame

tame′ly, adv. 
tame′ness, n. 
tam′er, n. 
Synonyms

• 3. meek, subdued.
• 4. flat, empty, vapid, boring, tedious, uninteresting.
• 5. cowardly, dastardly.
• 9. break, subdue.
• 12. calm, mollify.

Antonyms

• 1. wild.

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

tame / teɪm/ adjective

1. changed by humans from a naturally wild state into a tractable, domesticated, or cultivated condition
2. (of animals) not fearful of human contact
3. lacking in spirit or initiative; meek or submissive
4. flat, insipid, or uninspiring

verb (transitive)

1. to make tame; domesticate
2. to break the spirit of, subdue, or curb
3. to tone down, soften, or mitigate

Etymology: Old English tam; related to Old Norse tamr, Old High German zam

ˈtamable, ˈtameable adjective

ˈtamely adverb

ˈtameness noun

ˈtamer noun