subdue

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. v. To conquer and subjugate; vanquish. See Synonyms at defeat.
2. v. To quiet or bring under control by physical force or persuasion; make tractable.
3. v. To make less intense or prominent; tone down: subdued my excitement about the upcoming holiday.
4. v. To bring (land) under cultivation: Farmers subdued the arid lands of Australia.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. To conquer and bring into permanent subjection; reduce under dominion.
2. To overpower by superior force; gain the victory over; bring under; vanquish; crush.
3. To prevail over by some mild or softening influence; influence by association; assimilate; overcome, as by kindness, persuasion, entreaty, or other mild means; gain complete sway over; melt.
4. To bring down; reduce.
5. To tone down; soften; make less striking or harsh, as in sound, illumination, or color: in this sense generally in the past participle: as, subdued colors; a subdued light.
6. To improve by cultivation; make mellow; break, as land.
7. Synonyms and Vanquish, Subjugate, etc. (see conquer), crush, quell.
8. To soften.
9. n. Subjugation; conquest.

Wiktionary

1. v. To overcome, quieten, or bring under control.
2. v. To bring (a country) under control by force.

GNU Webster's 1913

1. v. To bring under; to conquer by force or the exertion of superior power, and bring into permanent subjection; to reduce under dominion; to vanquish.
2. v. To overpower so as to disable from further resistance; to crush.
3. v. To destroy the force of; to overcome.
4. v. To render submissive; to bring under command; to reduce to mildness or obedience; to tame.
5. v. To overcome, as by persuasion or other mild means.
6. v. To reduce to tenderness; to melt; to soften.
7. v. To make mellow; to break, as land; also, to destroy, as weeds.
8. v. To reduce the intensity or degree of; to tone down; to soften.

WordNet 3.0

1. v. get on top of; deal with successfully
2. v. to put down by force or authority
3. v. put down by force or intimidation
4. v. correct by punishment or discipline
5. v. hold within limits and control
6. v. make subordinate, dependent, or subservient