⚡ Quick summary
The word avenge is a verb that means “to take vengeance for” or “to take vengeance on behalf of.” The word revenge is almost always used as a noun to mean “an act of retaliating for a prior insult or wrong,” “the desire to enact vengeance,” or “something done in vengeance.”
Do the words avenge and revenge get you confused? Well, you can get even with them by learning what they mean!
In this article, we will break down the difference between avenge and revenge, give tips on how to remember the difference, and provide examples of how we typically use both words in sentences.
When to use avenge or revenge
The word avenge is used as a verb to mean “to take vengeance for.” In other words, when you avenge someone, you are inflicting harm or humiliation on someone for a harm or humiliation they caused. In the eyes of the person doing the avenging, they are punishing someone for a wrong they are thought to have done.
For example:
- The team avenged their prior loss by clobbering their rivals by fifty points.
- The wandering samurai avenged his fallen master by killing the vile murderer in a duel.
The word revenge is typically used as a noun. It can mean “an act of retaliating for a prior insult or wrong,” “the desire to enact vengeance,” or “something done in vengeance.”
For example:
- In his tower, the evil wizard plotted his revenge on the kingdom that exiled him.
- Detectives say that the suspect was motivated by revenge.
- Clearly, my cat tearing up my couch was her revenge for giving her a bath this morning.
It is possible to use revenge as a verb, but it’s rarely done. As a verb, revenge has a very similar meaning to avenge but usually implies something is done out of vindictiveness or resentment, whereas avenge is usually done out of a sense of justice. For example, we could say He revenged the theft of his lawn mower by destroying his neighbor’s fence.
So, revenge is typically the vengeful noun, and avenge is typically the vengeful verb. To remember the difference, remember that avenge is the action (the verb) you do in order to get revenge.
Examples of avenge and revenge used in a sentence
Vengeance is ours with these example sentences that correctly use avenge and revenge:
- The brave knight avenged his fallen comrades by slaying the evil dragon.
- As revenge for taking the last slice of pizza, Amanda forced Ken to walk the dogs.
- The young prince swore he would get revenge on the wicked vizier and someday avenge the death of his father.
