tamest

IPA/teɪm/
IPA/teɪm/

tamest — adjective

  • tamestpositive
  • more tamestcomparative
  • most tamestsuperlative

1. superlative form of 'tame' used for the animal or bird in a group that is least

1.adjectiveA2
Definition

superlative form of 'tame' used for the animal or bird in a group that is least wild and most comfortable around people.

Example

Of all the horses at camp, Diya's mare was the tamest around children.

be the tamest around + people

The tamest rabbit in the pet shop ate parsley from Quinn's hand.

the tamest + animal in + place

Common collocations
  • the tamest horse
  • the tamest rabbit
  • the tamest of the litter
  • one of the tamest birds
Synonyms
Antonyms
  • wildest

    direct opposite for the animal that is least used to people

  • fiercest

    emphasises aggression rather than simple wildness

Grammar Patterns

the tamest + animal

be the tamest of + group

Usage Note

Usually appears with 'the' or 'one of the'. Distinguish from sense 2 by whether the comparison is about animals being gentle with people, not about something lacking excitement.

Common Mistakes

This is the most tame horse on the farm.
This is the tamest horse on the farm.
short adjectives usually form the superlative with '-est', not 'most'.
My rabbit is tamest than yours.
My rabbit is tamer than yours.
use 'tamer' for a comparison between two things and 'tamest' for the top one in a group.

2. superlative form of 'tame' used for the option, event, or idea that feels least

2.adjectiveB1
Definition

superlative form of 'tame' used for the option, event, or idea that feels least exciting, bold, or surprising in a comparison.

Example

Of the four rides, the tamest one still made Sofie's little brother scream.

the tamest + ride in a set

Paul said the tamest ending would disappoint fans of the crime series.

the tamest + ending

Common collocations
  • the tamest joke
  • the tamest ending
  • the tamest ride
  • the tamest option
Synonyms
  • mildest

    stresses low intensity more than low interest

  • dullest

    stronger and more critical; can mean completely boring

  • least daring

    focuses on avoiding risk or shock

Antonyms
  • wildest

    informal opposite for the most lively or extreme option

  • boldest

    stresses the most daring or surprising choice

Grammar Patterns

the tamest + film/show/idea

seem the tamest of + group

Usage Note

Often describes films, jokes, plans, or versions of an event. It suggests something is the safest or mildest choice in the set, sometimes with a disappointed tone.

Common Mistakes

That was the tamestest scene in the film.
That was the tamest scene in the film.
the superlative is already built into 'tamest'; do not add another ending.
The tamest ride was boring than the others.
The tamest ride was more boring than the others.
'tamest' already compares excitement, so any extra comparison must be formed separately.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

When you call one animal the tamest, you usually mean it is the easiest to handle and the most used to people in that group. Tame is the broad everyday word for an animal that is no longer wild. Docile is more formal and stresses obedience or ease of control. Gentle focuses on soft, kind behaviour, so a gentle dog may still be nervous in a new place. Domesticated often refers to a longer process of breeding or training across time, not just one animal's behaviour today. A pet rabbit can be the tamest in the class without being the gentlest with strangers, and a horse may be domesticated but not the tamest around children.

tame ↗docile ↗gentle ↗domesticated ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

  • by far the tamest
  • easily the tamest

Phrases

  • one of the tamest
  • seem the tamest
  • look the tamest

Prepositions

  • the tamest of the group
  • the tamest in the line-up

Etymology

Old EnglishMiddle EnglishEnglish

Tamest is formed from tame with the superlative ending -est. Tame goes back to Old English tam, a word for something brought under control or made used to people, and it stayed in English through Middle English before taking its modern form.

First known use

12th century

12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Verb