tame
/teɪm/ (bre, ipa) · /teɪm/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈtām/ (ame, mw)
tame — 形容詞
- tamepositive
- tamercomparative
- tamestsuperlative
1. describes an animal that has learned to live calmly alongside people and is not
馴服；溫馴
動物經人類馴化後不具野性
describes an animal that has learned to live calmly alongside people and is not afraid of them or likely to cause harm.
The zoo keepers fed the tame deer by hand every afternoon.
動物園的管理員每天親手餵養那些馴服的鹿。
tame + noun (animal) describing domesticated creatures
Nia's pet rabbit is so tame that it falls asleep on her lap.
Nia 的寵物兔非常溫順，會在她的腿上睡著。
Although the bear looked tame, the ranger warned everyone to keep a safe distance.
雖然那隻熊看起來很馴服，但管理員還是警告大家要保持安全距離。
That breed of cat is naturally tame and friendly toward strangers.
那個品種的貓天生溫順，對陌生人也很友善。
The tame horses in the village let children brush their manes without complaint.
村裡那些溫馴的馬讓孩子們隨意梳理牠們的鬃毛，毫無怨言。
- domesticated
more formal; focuses on the process of being brought under human control
- docile
stresses a gentle, easy-to-handle nature rather than simple lack of wildness
- gentle
broader; can describe any creature's calm manner, not just non-wild ones
文法句型
tame + noun (animal)
be + tame
用法筆記
Also used for people who are unusually willing to obey — for example, 'The once rebellious teenager grew tame after joining the military.'
常見錯誤
2. not at all exciting, adventurous, or interesting — so much so that you feel slig
平淡；無趣
活動或體驗缺乏刺激與趣味
not at all exciting, adventurous, or interesting — so much so that you feel slightly disappointed or bored.
The film was far too tame for an audience used to action movies.
對於習慣看動作片的觀眾來說，那部電影實在太平淡了。
be + too tame for [audience]
Ryo found the theme park rides tame compared to the roller coasters back home.
Ryo 覺得遊樂園的遊樂設施跟他家鄉的雲霄飛車比起來，顯得很無聊。
find + noun + tame (opinion verb pattern)
After climbing Mount Fuji, a short hill in the park seemed tame by comparison.
爬過富士山之後，公園裡的小山丘相比之下就顯得很平淡。
The party was surprisingly tame — everyone left before ten o'clock.
那場派對出奇地平淡——大家不到十點就離開了。
Constanza chose a tamer outfit for the meeting and saved her bright dress for later.
Constanza 選擇了比較低調的服裝去開會，把亮麗的洋裝留到晚上穿。
- boring
stronger and more negative; 'tame' suggests mildness, not total tedium
- mild
focuses on lack of intensity rather than lack of excitement
- dull
more critical; implies the thing fails to engage at all
- uninspiring
formal; suggests nothing sparks interest or imagination
文法句型
be + tame
sound + tame
seem + tame
常見錯誤
tame — 動詞
- tamepresent simple I / you / we / they
- tames3rd person singular
- taming-ing form
- tamedpast simple
1. to train a wild animal to accept human company and follow basic commands, so tha
馴養；馴服
使野生動物習慣與人類相處
to train a wild animal to accept human company and follow basic commands, so that it no longer tries to run away or attack.
The wildlife centre spent two years trying to tame the injured eagle.
野生動物中心花了兩年時間試圖馴養那隻受傷的老鷹。
tame + specific animal (eagle)
Asher learned how to tame horses during his summer job on the ranch.
Asher 在農場打暑期工時學會了如何馴馬。
Andrei spent months taming the stray cat that had been living in his garden.
Andrei 花了幾個月的時間馴養那隻一直住在他花園裡的流浪貓。
Ancient humans first tamed wolves more than ten thousand years ago.
古代人類在一萬多年前就開始馴養狼了。
The parrot was rescued from a market and slowly tamed by a local vet.
那隻鸚鵡從市場被救出後，由一位當地的獸醫慢慢馴化。
- domesticate
more formal; implies a long-term process of adapting a species to human life
- train
broader; does not specifically mean 'make less wild' — can apply to any skill
- break in
specific to horses; focuses on getting a horse used to a rider
- release
set an animal free back into the wild
文法句型
tame + noun (animal)
2. to bring a dangerous force, a difficult situation, or a strong emotion under con
控制；遏制
抑制危險力量或強烈情緒
to bring a dangerous force, a difficult situation, or a strong emotion under control so that it no longer causes harm or trouble.
Engineers are working on ways to tame the floodwaters of the great river.
工程師們正在設法控制那條大河的洪水。
tame + natural force (floodwaters)
Nikhil struggled to tame his anger during the heated argument with his boss.
Nikhil 在與老闆激烈爭論時努力壓制住自己的怒氣。
tame + emotion (anger)
New laws were introduced to tame the power of large technology companies.
政府制定了新的法律來遏制大型科技公司的權力。
The government spent billions trying to tame inflation, but prices kept rising.
政府花了數十億元試圖控制通貨膨脹，但物價還是不斷上漲。
Amelia finally tamed her fear of public speaking by joining a local drama class.
Amelia 加入當地的戲劇班後，終於克服了對公開演講的恐懼。
- bring under control
longer but less figurative; plainer in tone
- subdue
stronger; suggests using force to overcome resistance
- harness
implies channelling a force for productive use, not just suppressing it
- curb
means to restrain or limit, often used for spending or behaviour
文法句型
tame + noun (force, emotion, situation)
用法筆記
Common in journalism and political writing. The object can be a physical force (flood, fire), an institution (government, market), or an emotion (fear, rage).
常見錯誤
3. to turn wild plants into crops that are suitable for farming, or to develop wild
開墾；馴化
將野生植物或荒地改為可用
to turn wild plants into crops that are suitable for farming, or to develop wild land into land that people can use for growing food or building on.
Farmers in the region tamed wild wheat varieties thousands of years ago.
當地農民在數千年前就馴化了野生小麥品種。
tame + wild plant (wheat)
It took generations to tame the dense jungle into rice paddies.
花了幾代人的時間才把茂密的叢林開墾成水稻田。
tame + wild land into [new use]
The settlers slowly tamed the rocky hillsides into terraced farms.
移民們慢慢地將多岩石的山坡開墾成梯田農地。
Botanists have tamed many wild flowers and turned them into popular garden plants.
植物學家馴化了許多野生花卉，把它們變成了常見的園藝植物。
Lucas studied how ancient peoples first tamed wild berries for cultivation.
Lucas 研究了古代民族如何先馴化野生漿果再加以栽培。
- cultivate
focuses on growing crops; 'tame' emphasises the transition from wild to managed
- domesticate
can apply to plants but is far more common for animals
- bring under cultivation
a formal, longer phrase specific to land
- develop
broader; includes building, not just farming
文法句型
tame + noun (plant, land, region)
用法筆記
Less common in everyday speech; found mostly in agricultural history, botany, and geography contexts.
4. to make something less strong, harsh, or extreme in style, wording, or expressio
緩和；淡化
降低言論或風格的激烈程度
to make something less strong, harsh, or extreme in style, wording, or expression — for example, softening a critical remark or making aggressive behaviour more moderate.
The editor asked the journalist to tame some of the harsher language in the article.
編輯要求記者把文章中一些過於嚴厲的措辭緩和下來。
tame + language / criticism
Pim tried to tame his criticism so it would not hurt the intern's feelings.
Pim 試圖緩和自己的批評，以免傷害實習生的感受。
The designer tamed the bold colours and chose a quieter palette for the bedroom.
設計師淡化了大膽的顏色，為臥室選擇了更柔和的色調。
Wren's first draft had angry words, so she tamed it before sending it out.
Wren 的初稿充滿了憤怒的言詞，所以在寄出前她先將語氣緩和下來。
The comedian tamed his act when he realised children were in the audience.
那位喜劇演員發現聽眾裡有小孩後，把表演內容調整得不那麼辛辣。
文法句型
tame + noun (language, criticism, style)
用法筆記
Often used about writing, speech, or artistic style where the original version is felt to be too sharp or provocative.