subdue: [14] Subdue denotes etymologically ‘lead away’. It came via Anglo-Norman *subduer from Latin subdūcere ‘lead away, withdraw’, a compound verb formed from the prefix sub- ‘from under, away’ and dūcere ‘lead’ (source of English duct, duke, etc). The sense ‘conquer, subjugate, suppress’ arose through association with the long defunct and quite unrelated English subdit ‘subject’, which came from subditus, the past participle of Latin subdere ‘bring under, subjugate’. => duct, duke
subdue (v.)
late 14c., "to conquer and reduce to subjection," from Old French souduire, but this meant "deceive, seduce," from Latin subducere "draw away, lead away, carry off; withdraw" (see subduce). The primary sense in English seems to have been taken in Anglo-French from Latin subdere and attached to this word. Related: Subdued; subduing. As an associated noun, subdual is attested from 1670s (subduction having acquired other senses).
3. Senior government officials admit they have not been able to subdue the rebels.
政府高级官员承认他们还没能制服反叛者。
来自柯林斯例句
4. Neither riches nor honours can corrupt him ; neither poverty nor humbleness can make him swerve from principle ; and neither threats nor forces can subdue him.
富贵不能淫,贫贱不能移, 威武不能屈.
来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
5. He forced himself to subdue and overcome his fears.
