tamed

/teɪm/ (bre, ipa) · [tˈemd] /teɪm/ (ame, ipa) · [tˈemd] /ˈtām How to pronounce tame (audio)/ (ame, mw)

tamed — 動詞

  • tamedpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • tameds3rd person singular
  • tameding-ing form
  • tamededpast simple

1. to train or handle a wild or frightened animal so that it becomes calm, gentle,

1.動詞及物B2
釋義

馴服；馴養

讓野生動物變得溫和

to train or handle a wild or frightened animal so that it becomes calm, gentle, and willing to live with or be handled by people, instead of trying to attack or run away.

例句

Antonia spent two years taming the injured fox she found near her farm.

Antonia 花了兩年時間馴服她在農場附近發現的那隻受傷狐狸。

tame + direct object (wild animal)

The sanctuary staff tamed the rescued wolves gradually, letting them get used to human voices first.

收容所的工作人員逐步馴養被救回的狼群，先讓牠們習慣聽到人的聲音。

passive: were tamed by gradual exposure

同義詞
  • domesticate

    more formal and broader — includes breeding animals over generations, not just one individual

  • gentle

    less common as a verb; focuses on making an animal calm rather than fully trained

  • train

    more general — can apply to any behaviour learning, not just overcoming wildness

反義詞
  • wild

    an animal that has never been tamed

  • frighten

    to cause fear, the opposite of calming an animal

文法句型

tame + object (wild animal)

用法筆記

Often used with animals that are genuinely wild rather than domesticated farm animals. To 'tame' implies actively changing the animal's behaviour through repeated contact, not simply raising a domesticated pet from birth.

常見錯誤

❌I tamed my pet dog when it was a puppy.
✅I trained my pet dog when it was a puppy.
💡'tame' is for wild or frightened animals, not for domesticated pets that are already calm around humans.
❌She tamed the garden by planting flowers.
✅She cultivated the garden by planting flowers.
💡'tame' applies to animals, not to plants or land.

2. to gain control over a dangerous, powerful, or difficult force — such as a natur

2.動詞及物C1
釋義

控制；駕馭

控制危險或強大的力量

to gain control over a dangerous, powerful, or difficult force — such as a natural element, an emotion, or a challenging situation — so that it no longer causes harm or trouble.

例句

Engineers are working on new ways to tame the river's floodwaters before the rainy season arrives.

工程師們正在研究新方法，希望在雨季來臨前控制河水的氾濫。

tame + natural force (floodwaters)

Jessica learned to tame her anger by practising deep breathing whenever she felt frustrated at work.

Jessica 學會了每當工作感到挫折時就深呼吸，以此駕馭自己的怒氣。

tame + emotion (anger)

同義詞
  • control

    more general and neutral; lacks the 'wild-to-calm' implication

  • subdue

    stronger, more forceful — implies overpowering resistance

  • harness

    suggests putting a force to productive use, not just restraining it

反義詞
  • unleash

    to release a force from control

  • provoke

    to stir up or intensify something

文法句型

tame + abstract object (force, emotion, problem)

用法筆記

Used metaphorically — the object is NOT an animal but something abstract or large-scale (emotions, prices, inflation, natural forces). Distinguish from sense 1, where the object is literally an animal.

常見錯誤

❌She tamed her hair with a brush.
✅She styled her hair with a brush.
💡'tame' for hair is informal and acceptable, but 'style' is the more natural word for arranging hair.
❌I tamed the exam by studying hard.
✅I mastered the exam by studying hard.
💡'tame' implies something dangerous or out of control; an exam is not typically described this way.

tamed — 形容詞