avenge

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.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for avenge

Protestors chanted “with our blood and our souls, we will avenge you, oh martyr.”
A New Intifada? Israel’s Arab Citizen Uprising Spreads|Creede Newton|November 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Within days of 9/11 he was talking about a “crusade” to avenge the blow, without realizing how freighted that word was.
Three Dicks: Cheney, Nixon, Richard III and the Art of Reputation Rehab|Clive Irving|July 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So I think that was personally felt too, my personal desire to avenge my own laziness and mistakes in life.
The Book of B.J. Novak: An Absurdist, Scathingly Funny Literary Debut|Caryn James|February 6, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Marius is a Roman soldier whose father is killed and he goes to avenge the death.
A Study in Xbox One Violence: Dead Rising 3 Vs. Ryse: Son of Rome|Alec Kubas-Meyer|December 1, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Now, 13 years later, Stan's little brother Matthew is back to avenge his death.
‘The Marshall Mathers LP 2’ Review: Eminem’s a Great Rapper With Nothing to Say|Rawiya Kameir|November 5, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Brutus, however, only waited this opportunity to avenge the cause of his family.
Pinnock's Improved Edition of Dr. Goldsmith's History of Rome|Oliver Goldsmith
The spoilt child was making new arms, like the schoolboy who exercises his muscle to avenge himself after a beating.
The Unveiling of Lhasa|Edmund Candler
His tongue might avenge him; scurrility is his strong point.
The Works of Lucian of Samosata, v. 4|Lucian of Samosata
Stine, I knew thy little head was wondrous wise, but I little thought thou wouldst breed him up to avenge us on old Wolfgang!
The Dove in the Eagle's Nest|Charlotte M. Yonge
The Nihilists are not the only people in the world who have the courage and the wit to avenge themselves.
Mysterious Mr. Sabin|E. Phillips Oppenheim

British Dictionary definitions for avenge

avenge

/ (əˈvɛndʒ) /

verb

(usually tr) to inflict a punishment in retaliation for (harm, injury, etc) done to (a person or persons); take revenge for or on behalf ofto avenge a crime; to avenge a murdered friend

Derived Forms

avenger, noun

Word Origin for avenge

C14: from Old French avengier, from vengier, from Latin vindicāre; see vengeance, vindicate

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

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

avenge

verb (used with object), a·venged, a·veng·ing.

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Examples from the Web for avenge

British Dictionary definitions for avenge

avenge

verb

Derived Forms

Word Origin for avenge

usage