avenge

[uh-venj]

See more synonyms for avenge on Thesaurus.com

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

to take vengeance or exact satisfaction for: to avenge a grave insult.
to take vengeance on behalf of: He avenged his brother.

Origin of avenge

1325–75; Middle English avengen < Old French avengier, equivalent to a- a-⁵ + vengier < Latin vindicāre; see vindicate

Related formsa·venge·ful, adjectivea·veng·er, nouna·veng·ing·ly, adverbun·a·venged, adjectiveun·a·veng·ing, adjectiveun·a·veng·ing·ly, adverb

Synonyms

See more synonyms for on Thesaurus.com

vindicate.

Synonym study

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.

Antonyms

1. forgive.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for avenge

Contemporary Examples

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
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
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
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
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

Historical Examples

To defend and avenge each other, is the deep feeling of all.
The Exploring Expedition to the Rocky Mountains, Oregon and California
Brevet Col. J.C. Fremont
But they were too late to avenge, as they had been too late to save.
The White Company
Arthur Conan Doyle
Then what could God do to avenge His honour and to have satisfaction rendered to Him?
Initiation into Philosophy
Emile Faguet
She thought that she had to avenge her husband, and had fixed the bayonet to her rifle.
A Comedy of Marriage and Other Tales
Guy De Maupassant
In the second, He assures us that God longs to avenge His elect speedily.
The Ministry of Intercession
Andrew Murray

British Dictionary definitions for avenge

avenge

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 Formsavenger, noun

Word Origin

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

Word Origin and History for avenge

v.

late 14c., from Anglo-French avenger, Old French avengier, from a- "to" (see ad-) + vengier "take revenge" (Modern French venger), from Latin vindicare "to claim, avenge, punish" (see vindicate). Related: Avenged; avenging.

avenge

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Synonyms

Synonym study

Antonyms

Related Words

Examples from the Web for avenge

Contemporary Examples

Protestors chanted “with our blood and our souls, we will avenge you, oh martyr.”

Within days of 9/11 he was talking about a “crusade” to avenge the blow, without realizing how freighted that word was.

So I think that was personally felt too, my personal desire to avenge my own laziness and mistakes in life.

Marius is a Roman soldier whose father is killed and he goes to avenge the death.

Now, 13 years later, Stan's little brother Matthew is back to avenge his death.

Historical Examples

To defend and avenge each other, is the deep feeling of all.

But they were too late to avenge, as they had been too late to save.

Then what could God do to avenge His honour and to have satisfaction rendered to Him?

She thought that she had to avenge her husband, and had fixed the bayonet to her rifle.

In the second, He assures us that God longs to avenge His elect speedily.

avenge

Word Origin

usage

Word Origin and History for avenge

v.

Origin of avenge