vengeance

American  

[ven-juhns] / ˈvɛn dʒəns /

noun

1. infliction of injury, harm, humiliation, or the like, on a person by another who has been harmed by that person; violent revenge.

   But have you the right to vengeance?

   Synonyms:

   retaliation, requital

   Antonyms:

   forgiveness

2. an act or opportunity of inflicting such trouble.

   to take one's vengeance.

3. the desire for revenge.

   a man full of vengeance.

4. Obsolete. hurt; injury.

5. Obsolete. curse; imprecation.

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idioms

1. with a vengeance,

   1. with force or violence.

   2. greatly; extremely.

   3. to an unreasonable, excessive, or surprising degree.

      He attacked the job with a vengeance.

vengeance British  

/ ˈvɛndʒəns /

noun

1. the act of or desire for taking revenge; retributive punishment

2. (intensifier)

   the 70's have returned with a vengeance

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vengeance More Idioms  

1. see with a vengeance.

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Usage

What does vengeance mean? Vengeance is a desire for revenge—retaliation against or punishment of someone for some kind of harm that they caused or wrongdoing that they did (whether real or perceived). It can also be used as an even more intense synonym for revenge. Vengeance often involves deep anger and a perhaps obsessive desire to get even by inflicting similar harm to the person who initially harmed the person seeking revenge. When it means the same thing as revenge, vengeance is often planned out over a period of time. The related adjective vengeful is used to describe someone who is determined to seek vengeance or someone who is inclined to seek vengeance—someone who is vindictive. The phrase with a vengeance means with great violence or intensity, as in My allergies have come back with a vengeance—I’ve been sneezing all day. Example: The vengeance in your heart will eat away at you, which is like letting your enemy defeat you yet again.

Related Words

See revenge.

Etymology

Origin of vengeance

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Old French; equivalent to venge + -ance

Explanation

If someone hurts you, you might be inspired to plan an act of vengeance: some type of payback in order to settle the score. Be careful, though, because you might inspire someone to take vengeance on you in return. Vengeance is a downward spiral of pain and betrayal, one person hurting another, who hurts another, and so on. You might demand vengeance if your brother throws your favorite jeans into a tree, and your brother might feel the same way after you spit gum in his hair. The phrase “with a vengeance” means to do something with a lot of intensity. Vengeance shares roots with the word revenge, and someone who wants revenge usually pursues it with a vengeance.

Example Sentences

The stories frame the all-consuming desire for retaliation as an integral aspect of our mortal lives; no one gets out without hankering for a bit of vengeance.

From Salon • May 19, 2026

Lee Marvin plays an implacable man out for vengeance in this 1967 thriller, arriving in a 4K restoration, that keeps the audience at a cool remove.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026

In Sokolov’s “They Will Kill You,” written with Alex Litvak, that premise is combined with a Tarantino-esque taste for kung fu movies and nonlinear storytelling, as well as a “John Wick”-style quest for vengeance.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 26, 2026

Crowds gathered on Sunday in Iran's south to call for vengeance following the killing of Khamenei in US and Israeli attacks, Iranian media reported.

From Barron's • Mar. 1, 2026

Nobody could, for after a few weeks of kind weather the earth had frozen with a vengeance, and spring seemed far away.

From "The Birchbark House" by Louise Erdrich

Related Words

• reprisal
• retribution
• revenge