Tame describes an animal that isn't wild or dangerous around people. A tame rabbit sits calmly in your lap instead of running away. A tame horse lets you ride it without bucking or bolting. Tame animals have either been domesticated over many generations, like dogs and cats, or trained individually to trust and accept humans.

The opposite of tame is wild. Wild animals follow their instincts and stay away from people, or might attack if they feel threatened. You can't walk up to a wild bear and pet it, but you could pet a tame dog.

The word also describes something boring or unexciting. If someone calls a movie tame, they mean it lacks adventure or surprise. A tame roller coaster barely makes you feel anything. When your older sibling says their school dance was tame, they're disappointed it wasn't more exciting.

As a verb, to tame means to make an animal less wild. In old stories, brave characters tamed dragons or lions. In real life, people have tamed wolves into dogs and wild horses into riding animals over thousands of years. You might tame a scared kitten by patiently offering food and gentle care until it trusts you.