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.
With the win, FFC avenged a 45-7 loss at Regis last fall. Matt Schubert, Denver Post, 12 Oct. 2025 And for Oregon, a comfortable win — on the heels of outlasting Penn State on the road — cements the Ducks on that short list of legit national championship contenders this year, with a manageable schedule the rest of the way and an eye on avenging last season’s first-round Playoff exit. Justin Williams, New York Times, 10 Oct. 2025 The Dragons avenged that defeat in a 56-7 regional final rout of Byron Nelson that same year. Mike Waters, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 4 Oct. 2025 The Detroit Tigers avenged their massive collapse in the American League Central in their playoff matchup against the division champion Cleveland Guardians. Tim Crowley, MSNBC Newsweek, 3 Oct. 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 22 Oct. 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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