revenge

1 of 2

verb

re·​venge ri-ˈvenj How to pronounce revenge (audio)
revenged; revenging

transitive verb

1
: to avenge (oneself or another) usually by retaliating in kind or degree
2
: to inflict injury in return for
revenge an insult
revenger noun

revenge

2 of 2

noun

1
: a desire for vengeance or retribution
motivated by revenge
2
: an act or instance of retaliating in order to get even
plotted her revenge
3
: an opportunity for getting satisfaction
sought revenge through a rematch

Examples of revenge in a Sentence

Verb a man who took matters into his own hands and revenged the death of his brother Noun She swore that she would have her revenge. She wants revenge against her enemies. The bombing was in revenge for the assassination of their leader. The team is seeking revenge for the loss earlier in the season.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Crafted as a concept album, Midnights draws inspiration from various sleepless nights, exploring themes from self-reflection to revenge fantasies to falling in love. Nicole Sands, Peoplemag, 22 May 2024 Through such details do writers revenge themselves on life. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 19 Feb. 2024
Noun
Characters speak in platitudes about loss, grief, loyalty and revenge, and the cast mostly works down to the level of the dialogue. Caroline Reid, Forbes, 26 Sep. 2024 Hours before the Israeli strike, Hezbollah pounded northern Israel with 140 rockets as the region awaited the revenge promised by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah over this week’s mass explosions of pagers belonging to members of the Shiite militant group. Julia Frankel, Twin Cities, 20 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for revenge 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'revenge.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English, from Anglo-French revenger, revengier, from re- + venger to avenge — more at vengeance

Noun

Middle French revenge, revenche, from revengier, revenchier to revenge

First Known Use

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

circa 1547, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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

Dictionary Entries Near revenge

Cite this Entry

“Revenge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/revenge. Accessed 6 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

revenge

1 of 2 verb
re·​venge ri-ˈvenj How to pronounce revenge (audio)
revenged; revenging
1
: to get even for a wrong done
revenge myself on my enemies
2
: to give injury in return for
revenge an insult
revenger noun

revenge

2 of 2 noun
1
: a desire to pay back injury for injury
2
: an act or instance of revenging
3
: a chance for getting satisfaction
revengeful
-fəl
adjective
revengefully
-fə-lē
adverb
revengefulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on revenge

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