subdued 1 of 2

adjective

səb-ˈdüd How to pronounce subdued (audio)
Definition of subduednext
as in muted
not excessively showy the wedding was a subdued affair, with only close family and friends attending

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

subdued

2 of 2

verb

past tense of subdue
1
as in defeated
to achieve a victory over subdued her fear of the dark by joining a club for spelunkers

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2
as in dominated
to bring under one's control by force of arms subdued the rebels and sent their leaders to the gallows

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3
as in suppressed
to put a stop to (something) by the use of force labored through the night to subdue the river's rising waters by building a wall of sandbags around their property

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of subdued
Adjective
The celebration on Sunday was less subdued with players dousing each other in beer and sparkling wine and cigar smoke in the air in the visitors' clubhouse. — CBS News, 21 Sep. 2026 Win Mcnamee | Getty Images Bank of America is seeing a far more subdued few months for its Wall Street advisory and trading businesses after a blockbuster second quarter, CEO Brian Moynihan told analysts Monday. — Hugh Son,ritika Shah, CNBC, 14 Sep. 2026
Verb
Passengers forced their way into the cockpit and subdued the attacker, helping stabilize the Boeing 737 Max 8 after a plunge that aviation experts said could have ended in disaster. — Samy Magdy, Los Angeles Times, 30 Sep. 2026 Hogan added that the market could experience more trading days like this sporadically over the coming months if sentiment remains subdued amid tensions in the Middle East. — Sean Conlon, CNBC, 21 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for subdued
Recent Examples of Synonyms for subdued
  1. muted
  2. defeated
  3. dominated
  4. suppressed
  5. restrained
  6. mastered
  7. conquered
  8. quelled
Adjective
  • Instead of the pops of yellow included in the original design, Stone’s NYFF look went with muted grays and beiges.
    — Julia Teti, Footwear News, 8 Oct. 2026
  • With the crowd on its feet still hoping for a comeback, pinch-hitter Gavin Sheets struck out to end it and the Brewers had a muted celebration on the field.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 8 Oct. 2026
Definition of muted
Verb
  • The Oregon Ducks defeated Boise State 34-27 in Week 1 but have since lost to Oklahoma State and, this weekend, to UCLA.
    — Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 11 Oct. 2026
  • The Valkyries defeated the defending champion Las Vegas Aces on Friday night to advance to next week’s Finals, led by an overtime scoring flurry from Gabby Williams in their 87-77 win.
    — Sara Germano, Sportico.com, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of defeated
Verb
  • Tiffany Hsu, Mytheresa’s chief buying and group fashion venture officer, notes a clear shift away from the ease and practicality that’s dominated the last few years.
    — Madeleine Schulz, Vogue, 6 Oct. 2026
  • There haven't been many of those moments, as the Falcons have dominated from the start.
    — AJC.com, AJC.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of dominated
Verb
  • Sorkin’s problem was that, in reality, at this point in Facebook’s history, the powerful CEO had pushed out all the Roger McNamees, having suppressed dissent within the company.
    — Chris O'Falt, IndieWire, 10 Oct. 2026
  • The rest of the network enacts the decision, as other genes are activated or suppressed farther downstream, but isn’t active in it.
    — Quanta Magazine, Quanta Magazine, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of suppressed
Adjective
  • Either way, Rahimi balances the character’s clear vulnerability with just enough ambiguity about his plans for the school, accentuated through Majidi’s restrained and naturalistic approach.
    — Kambole Campbell, Variety, 11 Oct. 2026
  • While the look nods to Carolyn Bessette Kennedy with its restrained elegance, the final product is decidedly Giulia’s own.
    — Alexandra Macon, Vogue, 10 Oct. 2026
Definition of restrained
Verb
  • The same approach beat three world champions at Barrage Stratego, a faster eight-piece variant of Stratego, mastered the cooperative card game Hanabi, and beat the best bots at the Chinese card game dou dizhu.
    — Jacek Krywko, ArsTechnica, 1 Oct. 2026
  • Boot season is officially here, and while numerous brands look to make the most of the seasonal shift, there are few labels that have mastered the mix of casual lifestyle appeal and functional outdoor capabilities like Timberland has.
    — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of mastered
Verb
  • In a single generation, energy drinks have conquered the beverage world.
    — Kent Sepkowitz, STAT, 5 Oct. 2026
  • The title hints that the film will follow Aegon the Conqueror, who, along with his sister-wives Visenya and Rhaenys, invaded Westeros and conquered most of the Seven Kingdoms with the help of their dragons, Balerion, Vhagar and Meraxes.
    — Tracy Brown, Los Angeles Times, 29 Sep. 2026
Definition of conquered
Verb
  • Its brutal and ongoing crackdown on protests has quelled a public revolt.
    — David Goldman, CNN Money, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever may have had their WNBA championship dreams quelled Thursday, but the star’s Nike Caitlin 1 signature sneaker story is just getting underway.
    — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 3 Oct. 2026
Definition of quelled

Browse Nearby Words

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subdued
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Cite this Entry

“Subdued.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/subdued. Accessed 14 Oct. 2026.

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