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

But Kennedy has forcefully defended Geier, saying there is a medical establishment vendetta against him and his father, Dr. Mark Geier, because of their studies purporting a link between immunizations and autism, as Kennedy claimed in an X post in July. —Sarah Owermohle, CNN Money, 4 Sep. 2025

Additionally, making threats about recording their son crying sounds like a personal vendetta rather than her genuinely being concerned about his well-being. —Essence, 2 Sep. 2025

The Tulane football team came away with a dominant 23-3 victory over Northwestern Saturday, but the Green Wave admittedly had a personal vendetta against their opponent. —Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 30 Aug. 2025

Anto, a Parisian cop of Corsican origin, swore as a child to his brother – killed in a vendetta – to break the cycle of vengeance that has plagued their family for generations. —Ed Meza, Variety, 28 Aug. 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