MEANING
1. To overcome or bring someone or something under control.
2. To reduce the force, brightness, or intensity of something.
Use it for
Words that belong together
- subdue resistance
- subdue an opponent
On the page
They subdued the resistance before allowing the witnesses to leave.
He tried to subdue the panic without showing its cause.
Nearby words
Related words
Word forms
- Base
- subdue
- Past tense
- subdued
- Past participle
- subdued
- Present participle
- subduing
Full tense & aspect guide
- Present
- subdue
- Present continuous
- am/is/are subduing
- Present perfect
- have/has subdued
- Present perfect continuous
- have/has been subduing
- Past
- subdued
- Past continuous
- was/were subduing
- Past perfect
- had subdued
- Past perfect continuous
- had been subduing
- Future
- will subdue
- Future continuous
- will be subduing
- Future perfect
- will have subdued
- Future perfect continuous
- will have been subduing
Choose the auxiliary that agrees with your subject. These are constructions of one word, not separate entries.
Explore related collections
Usage notes
Primary category: horror. Forms: subdue; subdues; subdued; subdued; subduing Legacy lexical fields mirror sense 1 only. Use numbered sense fields for all meanings. Third-person singular: subdues.
Practice this word in a sentenceYour margin notes
Keep a thought for later. Sign in to save privately.