vendetta
Americannoun
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a private feud in which the members of the family of a murdered person seek to avenge the murder by killing the slayer or one of the slayer's relatives, especially such vengeance as once practiced in Corsica and parts of Italy.
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any prolonged and bitter feud, rivalry, contention, or the like.
a political vendetta.
noun
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a private feud, originally between Corsican or Sicilian families, in which the relatives of a murdered person seek vengeance by killing the murderer or some member of his family
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any prolonged feud, quarrel, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of vendetta
First recorded in 1850–55; from Italian, from Latin vindicta “vengeance”; see vindictive
Explanation
A vendetta is blood feud, a quest for revenge. A vendetta might separate families for generations, with members of one family murdering those of the other, all to satisfy an ancient grudge. If a friend of yours breaks into your locker and fills it with crumpled up newspaper, you will not be able to hold your head up until you have carried out a vendetta. Perhaps you can tie his shoes together during French class without his noticing?
Vocabulary lists containing vendetta
100 SAT Words Beginning with "V"
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2015 Spelling Bee - Words from Round 2
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Challenge, List 5
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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.
It has popped up in sitcoms and animated series and been written into dramas such as "V for Vendetta" along with genre favorites like "Doctor Who."
From Salon • Jul. 29, 2022
A young white man wore a V for Vendetta mask usually associated with anarchists.
From Los Angeles Times • May 30, 2020
And yet of all the movie versions of Moore’s work, V for Vendetta is the most creatively successful.
From The Verge • Oct. 18, 2019
Portman last hosted in 2006, when she stopped by to promote V for Vendetta.
From Slate • Jan. 27, 2018
I kind of scoffed or sighed or exhaled in a way that was vaguely coughy and then said, “I’m not beau—” “You’re like a millennial Natalie Portman. Like Vfor Vendetta Natalie Portman.”
From "The Fault in Our Stars" by John Green
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.
