vengeful

adjective

venge·​ful ˈvenj-fəl How to pronounce vengeful (audio)
: revengeful: such as
a
: seeking to avenge
b
: serving to gain vengeance
vengefully adverb
vengefulness noun

Examples of vengeful in a Sentence

The robbery was committed by a vengeful former employee. The fire was a vengeful act of destruction.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Our vengeful protagonist, Aris, wants to journey through the gates to kill the gods. Clare Mulroy, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025 Daniel, meanwhile, stumbles upon Laura's phone, which fell under a side table during her fight with Cherry, and listens to the recording of Cherry's mom, Tracey (Karen Henthorn), warning that her daughter is darker and more vengeful than Daniel ever knew. Julia Moore, People.com, 11 Sep. 2025 From vengeful resurrections to satanic rituals, shoplifters waging war on capitalism to secret cults, shadow selves to harrowing births, these genre-defying films crown the Dolls as auteurs, protagonists, dreamers, and disruptors. Glenn Garner, Deadline, 10 Sep. 2025 What Tracey doesn’t realize is that Laura is recording their conversation on her iPhone, including Tracey’s comment that Laura should watch her back because Cherry can be quite vengeful. Olivia B. Waxman, Time, 10 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for vengeful

Word History

Etymology

venge + -ful entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1586, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of vengeful was circa 1586

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Vengeful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vengeful. Accessed 15 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

vengeful

adjective
venge·​ful ˈvenj-fəl How to pronounce vengeful (audio)
: wanting revenge
vengefully adverb
vengefulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on vengeful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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