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:
Over a wheezing harmonica and lightly strummed guitar, the title character sets out on a journey to avenge the death of her father.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
Much-fancied Japan beat the five-time champions 3-2 last October and - 20 years on - will look to avenge a 4-1 defeat in the 2006 group stage.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
It is also a chance for the Broncos to avenge last year's devastating 31-7 playoff loss in Buffalo.
From Barron's ● Jan. 16, 2026
All you needed to see was Friday night in Georgia, where the Hoosiers made foie gras from a fifth-ranked Ducks team vowing to avenge a regular season loss.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 10, 2026
Oliver headed up to his bedroom to think about gifts, but when he saw his copy of Treasure Island sitting on his desk he had a flash of inspiration to avenge Hyacinth’s honor.
From "The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street" by Karina Yan Glaser
There’s also the typical trend where, in matchups this tight, the results often even out, meaning Miami avenges that 2022 loss.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2023
In beating Usman, Birmingham's Edwards avenges his defeat in 2015 and ends the 35-year-old's 15-fight unbeaten streak in the UFC.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2022
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
He was a sort of Bradman, top of the battling avenges.
From "The Once and Future King" by T. H. White
The Trojans avenged the 5-4 loss they suffered against Texas State on Friday night in the regional opener.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 1, 2026
Mira Costa’s lone setback came Feb. 21 against Corona del Mar in the Redondo Classic final — a loss the Mustangs avenged four days later.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 21, 2026
Pegula improved to 4-1 head-to-head against eighth seed Paolini, and avenged her recent defeat to the Italian in the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Shenzhen.
From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2025
In over 300 fights across Muay Thai, mixed martial arts, kickboxing, jiu-jitsu and boxing, just three of those have been defeats - which she later avenged.
From BBC ● Sep. 4, 2025
She came into her own with the women who had despised her, by being more moral than they; she avenged herself on Cholly by forcing him to indulge in the weaknesses she despised.
From "The Bluest Eye" by Toni Morrison
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
Among her mandatory challengers are Briton Caroline Dubois at lightweight and Chantelle Cameron – to whom Taylor lost in May 2023 before avenging the defeat six months later.
From BBC ● Nov. 27, 2024
Gary Klein’s pick: If the Rams’ offensive line was at full strength and the secondary not depleted, they would have a better chance of avenging last season’s playoff defeat.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 6, 2024
That put the spotlight on the Huskies, and they added to the program’s legacy with a dominant performance while avenging their only loss.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 2, 2024
She liked detergent commercials especially, anything with animated scrubbing bubbles or avenging suds.
From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
