avenge

verb

avenged; avenging

transitive verb

1
: to take vengeance for or on behalf of
vowed to avenge their murdered father
2
: to exact satisfaction for (a wrong) by punishing the wrongdoer
was determined to avenge the assault
avenger noun

Examples of avenge in a Sentence

The brothers vowed to avenge the death of their father. They vowed to avenge their father by capturing and punishing his killer.
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.
The Eagles defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 40-22, denying the Chiefs their third-straight Super Bowl and avenging their Super Bowl XLVII loss to Kansas City just two years earlier. Jackson Thompson, FOXNews.com, 19 July 2025 Merced played Dina, Ellie's friend and eventual love interest, who joins her on a journey to Seattle to avenge (SPOILER ALERT) Joel (Pedro Pascal). Kalhan Rosenblatt, NBC news, 15 July 2025 The title triumph avenged their lone loss, a narrow 24-17 road defeat to the Exiles on June 1. Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 2 July 2025 That came after Israel launched deadly airstrikes against Iran, which the latter swore to avenge. Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 13 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for avenge

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French avenger, from a- (from Latin ad-) + venger to avenge — more at vengeance

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of avenge was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Avenge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/avenge. Accessed 25 Jul. 2025.

Kids Definition

avenge

verb
avenged; avenging
: to take vengeance for (an action) or on behalf of (a person)
avenger noun

More from Merriam-Webster on avenge

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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