vendetta

noun

ven·​det·​ta ven-ˈde-tə How to pronounce vendetta (audio)
1
2
: an often prolonged series of retaliatory, vengeful, or hostile acts or exchange of such acts
waged a personal vendetta against those who opposed his nomination

Did you know?

Vendetta has been getting even in English since the 19th century, when it first was used to refer to feuds between different clans or families. It later extended in meaning to cover acts that are known to feature in feuds of all kinds. English speakers borrowed vendetta, spelling and all, from Italian, in which it means "revenge." It ultimately traces to the Latin verb vindicta, of the same meaning. That Latin word is also in the family tree of many other English terms related to getting even, including avenge, revenge, vengeance, vindicate, and vindictive.

Examples of vendetta in a Sentence

He waged a personal vendetta against his rivals in the Senate.
Recent Examples on the Web Monkey Man is, on the surface, a fairly simple tale of vengeance: Man has vendetta. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 12 Mar. 2024 That's the question that appears to be boggling the minds of Bachelor Nation since Sydney Gordon's vendetta against Maria Georgas erupted earlier this season. Glamour, 19 Feb. 2024 The two Little Havana businessmen who sued Carollo claim two dozen city officials followed Carollo’s orders in a vendetta to ruin them. Linda Robertson, Miami Herald, 20 Dec. 2023 Trump has already mused about ending the war in Ukraine in 24 hours, and his first-term attempt to hold Ukraine’s security hostage to pursue a vendetta against Biden may indicate a readiness to impose an unfavorable peace deal on Kyiv. Peter D. Feaver, Foreign Affairs, 19 Feb. 2024 The proxy filings fill in the blanks by suggesting what Peltz may really be after: a personal vendetta against Iger. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 6 Feb. 2024 This might not be someone who has a full vendetta against you — there may be a stranger who confronts you or an acquaintance who makes a negative comment. Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 22 Jan. 2024 Like Bill Devane’s Major Charles Rane in Rolling Thunder and Pam Grier’s Coffy, Statham’s Adam Clay is driven solely by vendetta, not idealism. Giancarlo Sopo, National Review, 13 Jan. 2024 In his official biography of Musk, Walter Isaacson revealed how his subject bragged about hatching a secret plan to fire then–Twitter head Parag Agrawal without severance over a vendetta Musk had with the former CEO. Christiaan Hetzner, Fortune, 7 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vendetta.' 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

borrowed from Italian, "retribution, revenge, blood feud," going back to Latin vindicta — more at vindictive

First Known Use

1855, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of vendetta was in 1855

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Dictionary Entries Near vendetta

Cite this Entry

“Vendetta.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vendetta. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

vendetta

noun
ven·​det·​ta ven-ˈdet-ə How to pronounce vendetta (audio)
1
: a feud between different families
2
: a series of acts marked by bitter hostility and motivated by a desire for revenge
waged a personal vendetta against those who opposed his candidacy
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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