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subdued

   Also found in: Encyclopedia, Wikipedia 0.06 sec.
sub·due  (sb-d, -dy)
tr.v. sub·dued, sub·du·ing, sub·dues
1. To conquer and subjugate; vanquish. See Synonyms at defeat.
2. To quiet or bring under control by physical force or persuasion; make tractable.
3. To make less intense or prominent; tone down: subdued my excitement about the upcoming holiday.
4. To bring (land) under cultivation: Farmers subdued the arid lands of Australia.

[Middle English subduen, alteration (influenced by Latin subdere, to subject) of Old French suduire, to seduce, from Latin subdcere, to withdraw (probably influenced by Latin sdcere, to seduce) : sub-, away; see sub- + dcere, to lead; see deuk- in Indo-European roots.]

sub·dua·ble adj.
sub·duer n.
ThesaurusLegend:  Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
Adj.1.subdued - in a softened tone; "hushed voices"; "muted trumpets"; "a subdued whisper"; "a quiet reprimand"
soft - (of sound) relatively low in volume; "soft voices"; "soft music"
2.subdued - restrained in style or quality; "a little masterpiece of low-keyed eloquence"
restrained - under restraint
3.subdued - quieted and brought under control; "children were subdued and silent"
tame - very restrained or quiet; "a tame Christmas party"; "she was one of the tamest and most abject creatures imaginable with no will or power to act but as directed"
4.subdued - not brilliant or glaring; "the moon cast soft shadows"; "soft pastel colors"; "subdued lighting"
dull - emitting or reflecting very little light; "a dull glow"; "dull silver badly in need of a polish"; "a dull sky"
5.subdued - lacking in light; not bright or harsh; "a dim light beside the bed"; "subdued lights and soft music"
dark - devoid of or deficient in light or brightness; shadowed or black; "sitting in a dark corner"; "a dark day"; "dark shadows"; "dark as the inside of a black cat"

subdued
adjective 1. quiet, serious, sober, sad, grave, restrained, repressed, solemn, chastened, dejected, downcast, crestfallen, repentant, down in the mouth, sadder and wiser, out of spirits << OPPOSITE lively
adjective 2. hushed, soft, quiet, whispered, murmured, muted << OPPOSITE loud
adjective 3. dim, soft, subtle, muted, shaded, low-key, understated, toned down, unobtrusive << OPPOSITE bright
Translations
Spanish subdued [səbˈdjuːd] adj [light] → tenue; [person] → sumiso, manso
French subdued [səbˈdjuːd] adjcontenu(e)atténué(e); [light] → tamisé(e); [person] → qui a perdu de son entrain
German subdued [səbˈdjuːd] subdue adj (light) → gedämpft;
(person) → bedrückt

Italian subdued [səbˈdjuːd] adjpacato/a; [light] → attenuato/a; [person] → poco esuberante

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His silky white hair flows over his shoulders; he looks at us with faded blue eyes; he bows with a sad and subdued courtesy, and says, in the simplest manner, "I bid you welcome, gentlemen, to my house.
A half-hour later, the Lion, thoughtfully picking his teeth with his claws, told the Rattlesnake that he had never in all his varied experience in being subdued, seen a subduer try so earnestly to give it up.
Tis said that when The hands of men Tamed this primeval wood, And hoary trees with groans of woe, Like warriors by an unknown foe, Were in their strength subdued, The virgin Earth Gave instant birth To springs that ne'er did flow That in the sun Did rivulets run, And all around rare flowers did blow The wild rose pale Perfumed the gale And the queenly lily adown the dale(Whom the sun and the dew And the winds did woo), With the gourd and the grape luxuriant grew.
 
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