verb
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
Related Words
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
- avengeful adjective
- avenger noun
- avengingly adverb
- unavenged adjective
- unavenging adjective
- unavengingly adverb
Etymology
Origin of avenge
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English avengen, from Old French avengier, equivalent to a- prefix meaning “toward, increase” ( a- 5 ) + vengier, from Latin vindicāre; vindicate
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.
Her dreams propelled Jackson toward college — as did a need to avenge the childhood taunts that echoed in his head.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 17, 2026
Sabalenka, a two-time Australian Open champion, is bidding to reach her fourth straight Melbourne final and avenge a shock defeat last year to Madison Keys.
From Barron's • Jan. 25, 2026
But the Rams had to overcome numerous missed opportunities to avenge their Nov. 30 loss here, a 31-28 defeat that ended the Rams’ six-game winning streak and knocked them out of the No. 1 seed.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 10, 2026
In its still-battered condition, Islamic State isn’t likely to escalate its attacks against the U.S. to avenge the strikes.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 20, 2025
“They are coming this way, the children of the night, traveling forth from the ancient world, coming from far and wide to avenge their mother.”
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
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.
