subdued

1 of 2

adjective

sub·​dued səb-ˈdüd How to pronounce subdued (audio)
-ˈdyüd
Synonyms of subdued
: lacking in vitality, intensity, or strength
subdued colors
subduedly
səb-ˈdü(-ə)d-lē How to pronounce subdued (audio)
-ˈdyü(-ə)d-
adverb

subdued

2 of 2

past tense and past participle of subdue

Synonyms of subdued

Relevance

Adjective

See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus

Examples of subdued in a Sentence

Adjective She spoke in a subdued voice. The color in the lobby is subdued.
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Adjective
Despite its subdued colorway, the knee-length dress is covered entirely in beadwork. — Kelsey Stiegman, InStyle, 25 Aug. 2026 Unemployment continued to fall while inflation remained subdued. — Joao Gomes, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026 Will opponents try to take advantage of any vulnerability, following the hyperaggressive blueprint that, say, Daniil Medvedev used to defeat a subdued Alcaraz at the BNP Paribas Open in March? — Ava Wallace, New York Times, 23 Aug. 2026 My style hasn't become smaller or more subdued; it's become more intentional. — Lindy Segal, Glamour, 21 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for subdued

Word History

First Known Use

Adjective

1785, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of subdued was in 1785

Rhymes for subdued

See All Rhymes for subdued

Browse Nearby Words

subdue
subdued
subduedly
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Subdued.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/subdued. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

Copy Citation

Kids Definition

subdued

adjective
: lacking in liveliness, intensity, or strength
subdued colors
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Is it 'nerve-racking' or 'nerve-wracking'?

What's the difference between 'fascism' and 'socialism'?

Why does English have so many silent letters?

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Ye Olde Nincompoop: Old-Fashioned Words for 'Stupid'

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
skateboard-dog-hat
Wordmaxxing Slang Quiz Give your vocabulary a glow up by getting sendy w...
See All