untamed

IPA/ˌʌnˈteɪmd/
IPA/ˌʌnˈteɪmd/

untamed — adjective

  • untamedpositive
  • more untamedcomparative
  • most untamedsuperlative

1. describes an animal, place, or force that keeps a raw natural character because

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

describes an animal, place, or force that keeps a raw natural character because people have not trained it, limited it, or made it orderly.

Example

The untamed horses ran across the island without fences or riders.

untamed + animal still living without human control

From the bridge, we watched the untamed river crash through the rocks.

collocation: untamed river

Common collocations
  • untamed horse
  • untamed river
  • untamed land
  • untamed curls
  • untamed energy
  • remain untamed
Synonyms
  • wild

    the broadest everyday word; it can also suggest excitement or disorder, not only a natural state

  • feral

    used especially for animals that now live wild after contact with people

  • unruly

    better for hair, behaviour, or children; less tied to nature

Antonyms
  • tame

    the direct opposite; no longer wild or difficult to control

  • domesticated

    more formal; stresses being adapted to live with humans

  • controlled

    broader and more general; often used for behaviour, force, or emotion

Grammar Patterns

untamed + noun

be + untamed

Usage Note

Often used for animals and landscapes that have not been shaped by people. When used about hair, feelings, or energy, it suggests the same wild, hard-to-manage quality rather than literal wilderness.

Common Mistakes

The horse became untamed after months with the trainer.
The horse became tame after months with the trainer.
'untamed' means still wild or uncontrolled, not successfully trained.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

Untamed stresses that something has not been brought under human control and still keeps a raw natural force. Wild is broader and more common: a wild party or wild idea is not untamed in the same way. Feral is narrower and is used mainly for animals that live in the wild after contact with people, such as feral cats. Unruly often describes hair, children, or behaviour that is hard to manage. Rugged is different again: it focuses on rough physical shape, especially in land. You might call a mountain coast untamed, but a pair of boots can be rugged, not untamed.

wild ↗feral ↗unruly ↗rugged ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • untamed horses
  • untamed river
  • untamed valley
  • untamed curls

Adverbs

  • still untamed
  • largely untamed
  • completely untamed

Phrases

  • remain untamed
  • look untamed
  • leave the land untamed

Prepositions

  • untamed by humans
  • untamed for centuries

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Untamed is built from the prefix un-, meaning 'not', and tamed, the past form of tame. Tame comes from Old English and was first used for animals made gentle enough to live with people. By adding un-, English creates the idea of something that has not been trained, softened, or brought under control. The word is still often used for animals and landscapes, but it can also describe hair, energy, or feelings that seem difficult to manage.

First known use

14th century

14th century, in the meaning defined above