vendetta

noun

ven·​det·​ta ven-ˈde-tə 

1

: blood feud

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

Parker and Torres did their best to believe McGee’s accounting of events afterward, but given that no body was found, people started to wonder if this vendetta was starting to unravel the good agent. —Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 29 Apr. 2025

His Sour History with the Event Goes Way Back Trump’s ongoing vendetta against 60 Minutes is a major roadblock for the Paramount-Skydance merger. —Meredith Kile, People.com, 28 Apr. 2025

Follow More of Our Reporting on Reality Check for KC Local Jackson County legislator dismisses misconduct investigation as personal vendetta April 2, 2025 3:16 PM Local KC area school board candidate has military criminal record. —Matthew Kelly, Kansas City Star, 3 Apr. 2025

Still a bit amnesic about his past, Quinn said that he was puzzled by Reacher’s vendetta. —Matt Webb Mitovich, TVLine, 27 Mar. 2025

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

Rhymes for vendetta

• beretta
• betta
• keta
• setae
• henrietta
• operetta
• typothetae
• periplaneta

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Kids Definition

vendetta

noun

ven·​det·​ta ven-ˈdet-ə 

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