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?

English speakers borrowed vendetta, spelling and all, from Italian in the 19th century; literally meaning "revenge," vendetta first referred specifically to Italian and especially Corsican family- or clan-based feuds. It later extended in meaning to cover the acts that tend to feature in such feuds, and later still expanded further to refer to a commitment to carrying out such acts. Vendetta ultimately traces to the Latin verb vindicta, meaning "revenge" or "vindication." That Latin word is also in the family tree of 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

Alas, poor Bryan is about to learn the hard way that change — as the saying goes — is as hard to outrun as an ever-growing zombie rat king with 37 different limbs and a weirdly personal vendetta. — David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 16 Sep. 2026

And because of Sally’s vendetta against magic for the deaths of multiple husbands, her daughters know absolutely nothing about the old ways. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2026

Personal bias … petty jealousies … vendettas … cronyism … axes to grind. — Steve Buckley, New York Times, 5 Sep. 2026

Previously, prosecutors claimed Rinderknecht had a vendetta against wealthy people, and used testimony from Rinderknecht’s Uber passengers who allegedly witnessed him complaining about aspects of his life. — Angel Saunders, PEOPLE, 20 Aug. 2026

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
• pieta
• 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