subdue
/səbˈdu/verb
subdue is spelled S-U-B-D-U-E: 6 letters and 2 syllables. It appears 1.1 times per million words in written English, the 26,776th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a verb, subdue means “To overcome, quieten, or bring under control” (English Wiktionary, September 2026).
How many letters and syllables are in subdue?
| Letters | 6: S-U-B-D-U-E |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | 1.1 times per million words; the 26,776th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
| Rhymes with |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media); rhymes and same-letter words are computed by PlainSpell from its own word list.
How common is subdue?
Subdue appears 1.1 times per million words in written English, the 26,776th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce subdue?
- US /səbˈdu/
- UK /səbˈdjuː/
- UK /səbˈdʒuː/
Subdue has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: LL-Q1860_(eng)-Vealhurl-subdue.wav, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
What rhymes with subdue?
The 12 most written words on PlainSpell end in the same sounds as subdue from its last stressed vowel (/u/):
Computed by PlainSpell from the pronunciations in the English Wiktionary (dump of September 2, 2026): a rhyme shares every sound from the last stressed vowel to the end; ordered by written frequency (wordfreq 3.1).
Forms of subdue
- subdues present, singular, he/she/it
- subduing participle, present
- subdued participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does subdue mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
verb
- 1
To overcome, quieten, or bring under control.
- 2
To bring (a country) under control by force.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Subdue in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | soumettre, subjuguer , assujettir |
| German | unter Kontrolle bringen, unterwerfen |
| Portuguese | subjugar , submeter |
| Spanish | someter, doblegar, domeñar, debelar , sojuzgar |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does subdue come from?
From Middle English subdewen, subduen, sodewen, from Old French souduire, from Latin subdūcō (“to draw away”), perhaps influenced by subdō (“to subdue, subject”).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).