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subdue — to bring under control, especially by force; to overcome or quiet

Part of speech: VERB

Definition: to bring under control, especially by force; to overcome or quiet

Pronunciation (IPA): /səbˈdu/

Example Sentences

  • The teacher used her stern voice to subdue the noisy classroom.
  • He tried to subdue his laughter when his boss slipped on the banana peel.
  • The restaurant's subdued atmosphere made it perfect for romantic dinners.

subdue

VERB

[/səbˈdu/]

to bring under control, especially by force; to overcome or quiet

The knight moved carefully to subdue the wild horse without hurting it.
💡 Concept

The knight moved carefully to subdue the wild horse without hurting it.

Pursue to subdue, then undo the fear too
🎵 Rhyme

Pursue to subdue, then undo the fear too

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🎤Pronunciation

🇺🇸 US/səbˈdu/
🇬🇧 UK/səbˈdjuː/

🌳Etymology

Prefixsub--
Rootdue

Origin

From Old French 'subduer', derived from Latin 'subduere', combining 'sub-' (under) and 'ducere' (to lead or conduct). The word entered English in the 13th century with the sense of bringing something under one's control or dominion.

Breakdown

sub- (under) + -due (from Latin ducere, to lead) = subdue (to bring under control)

🎵Rhyme

review
pursue
renew
undo

🔗Collocations

subdue emotions
subdue rebellion
subdue anger
subdue lighting
subdue colors
forcibly subdue

📝Examples

“The teacher used her stern voice to subdue the noisy classroom.”

😄 Fun example

“He tried to subdue his laughter when his boss slipped on the banana peel.”

“The restaurant's subdued atmosphere made it perfect for romantic dinners.”

“She couldn't subdue her excitement about meeting her favorite celebrity.”

📚Related Words

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