Domar vs. amansar
The Spanish verbs domar and amansar both refer to the action of taming an animal. However, the nuances and applications of these words differ slightly in their use cases.
Domar
B1Domar usually refers to breaking an animal's wild spirit to make it obedient. This word is often applied in the context of horses, elephants, lions or other strong and difficult to control animals.
Debemos domar al caballo salvaje para que se convierta en un buen corcel.
(We need to tame the wild horse to make it a good steed.)
La domadora logró domar al león después de muchos intentos.
(The animal tamer managed to tame the lion after many attempts.)
Amansar
B1Amansar, although also refers to taming, holds a softer connotation and implies gentleness and patience. It is often used when referring to domesticating smaller animals or toning down harsh behaviour.
Ella logró amansar al perro callejero con mucho amor y paciencia.
(She managed to tame the stray dog with a lot of love and patience.)
Se necesita mucha paciencia para amansar a un gato salvaje.
(It takes a lot of patience to tame a wild cat.)
Summary
Domar is used when describing the process of breaking an animal's will for obedience, typically large, unruly creatures. In contrast, amansar implies a gentler form of making small animals or someone less aggressive or severe.