Dictionary Definition
subdue
Verb
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,
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, conquer, curb]
3 hold within limits and control; "subdue one's
appetites"; "mortify the flesh" [syn: mortify, cricify]
4 get on top of; deal with successfully; "He
overcame his shyness" [syn: overcome, get over,
surmount, master]
5 make subordinate, dependent, or subservient;
"Our wishes have to be subordinated to that of our ruler" [syn:
subordinate]
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Translations
To overcome, quieten, bring under control
- Finnish: nujertaa, kukistaa
- German: unter Kontrolle bringen
To bring (a country) under control by force
- Finnish: vallata
- German: unterwerfen
Synonyms, Antonyms and Related Words
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