avenge
Americanverb
Usage
The use of avenge with a reflexive pronoun was formerly considered incorrect, but is now acceptable: she avenged herself on the man who killed her daughter
Synonym Usage
Avenge, revenge both imply to inflict pain or harm in return for pain or harm inflicted on oneself or those persons or causes to which one feels loyalty. The two words were formerly interchangeable, but have been differentiated until they now convey widely diverse ideas. Avenge is now restricted to inflicting punishment as an act of retributive justice or as a vindication of propriety: to avenge a murder by bringing the criminal to trial. Revenge implies inflicting pain or harm to retaliate for real or fancied wrongs; a reflexive pronoun is often used with this verb: Iago wished to revenge himself upon Othello.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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avengernoun
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avengefuladjective
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unavengedadjective
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unavengingadjective
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avenginglyadverb
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unavenginglyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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avengesimple
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avengessimple
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have avengedperfect
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has avengedperfect
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am avengingprogressive
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are avengingprogressive
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is avengingprogressive
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have been avengingperfect progressive
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has been avengingperfect progressive
Past
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avengedsimple
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had avengedperfect
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was avengingprogressive
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were avengingprogressive
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had been avengingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of avenge
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English avengen, from Old French avengier, equivalent to a- prefix meaning “toward, increase” ( see a- 5) + vengier, from Latin vindicāre; see vindicate
Explanation
If you avenge your father's death by killing his murderer (thereby taking revenge for the crime), there is a good chance you'll end up in jail, if you're caught. Many movie plots center on a character who seeks to avenge an injury of some kind. Whether it be Simba in "The Lion King," who wants to avenge his father's death, or Erin Brockovich, who seeks to avenge the suffering caused by a crooked and polluting California power company. One trick to remembering the word is that it's similar to the word revenge, which is the thing you're going for when you're seeking to avenge a bad deed. Watch for the venge in both words, and you'll know you're in the right department.
Vocabulary lists containing avenge
100 SAT Words Beginning with "A"
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"The Cask of Amontillado"
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Beowulf vocabulary
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
The Warriors have won 15 straight games since a loss to Dos Pueblos, which they can avenge Saturday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 19, 2026
The young Lafayette seized the opportunity to avenge his father’s death and his country’s humiliation, arriving in America in 1777, at only 19 years old, as the patriot cause was at its nadir.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
Holloway was looking to avenge his defeat by McGregor when they first met in 2013 and takes his record to 28 wins in 37 fights.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2026
He was beaten by McIlroy in a play-off last year, but put himself in position to avenge that defeat as McIlroy's stone-cold putter loosened his grip on the tournament.
From BBC ● Apr. 12, 2026
It often took years to repay a favour or to avenge a wrong.
From "Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind" by Yuval Noah Harari
"I named him Muhoozi, which means vengeance, such that when someone wrongs me, he avenges," Museveni once explained.
From BBC ● Jan. 30, 2026
In 1984, audiences had never seen anything like the low-budget epic “New York Ninja,” in which the Taiwanese kung fu performer John Liu directs himself as a high-kicking sound man who avenges his wife’s death.
From New York Times ● Nov. 19, 2021
He avenges his London 2012 loss to South African rival Chad le Clos with a 200-meter butterfly victory and his 20th career gold.
From Washington Times ● Aug. 8, 2020
Archbishop Murphy avenges last year’s semifinal loss vs.
From Seattle Times ● Nov. 19, 2016
He was a sort of Bradman, top of the battling avenges.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
That's the same venue where last November, Benn avenged his only prior loss by taking a unanimous decision from England's Chris Eubank Jr.
From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026
They would trade leather a further two times after Taylor had avenged her sole professional career defeat by Chantelle Cameron to become a two-weight champion.
From BBC ● Sep. 6, 2026
No, he says, a dutiful son avenged his father.
From Salon ● Sep. 3, 2026
Instead, the expansion Tempo avenged a four-point defeat two days earlier with a 106-96 victory Sunday afternoon at Crypto.com Arena.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 18, 2026
“He’s the only member of the royal family who can crown Balekin. Without Cardan, the throne will be forever lost, and we will have avenged Dain.”
From "The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black
Next, the roles were reversed: Senegalese wrestlers put on traditional burlap shorts to try their hand at Swiss wrestling, with the Swiss avenging their earlier defeat.
From Barron's ● Nov. 2, 2026
When Alexander, not yet 30 years old, crossed the Hindu Kush, his conquest tipped from plunder, expansion and avenging Persian invasions into an epic and increasingly confused fantasy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
He flies like an avenging angel, holding a candle in one hand and grapes in the other.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 19, 2026
The same, by the way, was true of Nat Turner and John Brown—bloodthirsty monsters for some, avenging angels for others.
From Slate ● Dec. 18, 2024
“I am the avenging sword of taste and decency,” Ignatius was shouting.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
