vengeance
noun
ven·geance
ˈven-jən(t)s 
: punishment inflicted in retaliation for an injury or offense : retribution
see also:
Examples of vengeance in a Sentence
He thought briefly of the long-dead woman bound to this stone in 1654 and burnt alive as a witch. And for what? An over-sharp tongue, delusions, mental eccentricity, to satisfy a private vengeance, the need for a scapegoat in times of sickness or the failure of a harvest, or perhaps as a sacrifice to propitiate a malignant unnamed god?
—
P. D. James, The Private Patient, 2008
Unlike the type of cannibalism much of the world had come to know—among desperate explorers, marooned sailors, and victims of famine—the Cinta Larga's consumption of human flesh was born not out of necessity but out of vengeance and an adherence to tribal traditions and ceremony.
—Candice Millard, The River of Doubt, 2005
As it turns out, police crackdowns in the 1990's did not so much destroy Los Angeles street gangs as temporarily displace them to Central America. Soon they returned with a vengeance; gang-related homicide rose 50 percent between 1999 and 2002.
—Richard Brookhiser, New York Times Book Review, 9 Jan. 2005
He is trying to do in his corner of Texas what death-penalty opponents say is impossible: enforce capital punishment flawlessly, ensuring that the innocent never spend a day on death row and the guilty are sent there only after trials free of bias and vengeance.
—John Cloud, Time, 14 July 2003
A holy war may be launched to root out terrorism, but its form must be a punitive crusade, an angry god's vengeance exacted upon sinners, since no proper war can exist when there is no recognition of the other's list of grievances, no awareness of the relentless dynamic binding the powerful and powerless.
—John Edgar Wideman, Harper's, March 2002
The fire was set as an act of vengeance.
Angry protesters wanted to inflict vengeance on the killer.
P. D. James, The Private Patient, 2008
Unlike the type of cannibalism much of the world had come to know—among desperate explorers, marooned sailors, and victims of famine—the Cinta Larga's consumption of human flesh was born not out of necessity but out of vengeance and an adherence to tribal traditions and ceremony.
—Candice Millard, The River of Doubt, 2005
As it turns out, police crackdowns in the 1990's did not so much destroy Los Angeles street gangs as temporarily displace them to Central America. Soon they returned with a vengeance; gang-related homicide rose 50 percent between 1999 and 2002.
—Richard Brookhiser, New York Times Book Review, 9 Jan. 2005
He is trying to do in his corner of Texas what death-penalty opponents say is impossible: enforce capital punishment flawlessly, ensuring that the innocent never spend a day on death row and the guilty are sent there only after trials free of bias and vengeance.
—John Cloud, Time, 14 July 2003
A holy war may be launched to root out terrorism, but its form must be a punitive crusade, an angry god's vengeance exacted upon sinners, since no proper war can exist when there is no recognition of the other's list of grievances, no awareness of the relentless dynamic binding the powerful and powerless.
—John Edgar Wideman, Harper's, March 2002
The fire was set as an act of vengeance.
Angry protesters wanted to inflict vengeance on the killer.
Recent Examples on the Web
Flynn can’t help but wonder if there is a frightening connection between the family’s disappearance and PDQ’s vengeance.
—Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 12 Apr. 2026
The person who should have the unfinished-story-line gripe is Jane, who would ideally be back with a vengeance.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2026
New York survived Boston’s attempt at vengeance on Thursday in a 112-106 victory, marking 52 on the year, one more than the mark Tom Thibodeau set last season.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 10 Apr. 2026
One spring morning several years ago that was brought home to me with a vengeance.
—Bruce Brady, Outdoor Life, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for vengeance
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Sandra Dallas, Denver Post, 12 Apr. 2026
The person who should have the unfinished-story-line gripe is Jane, who would ideally be back with a vengeance.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 11 Apr. 2026
New York survived Boston’s attempt at vengeance on Thursday in a 112-106 victory, marking 52 on the year, one more than the mark Tom Thibodeau set last season.
—Kristian Winfield, New York Daily News, 10 Apr. 2026
One spring morning several years ago that was brought home to me with a vengeance.
—Bruce Brady, Outdoor Life, 8 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for vengeance
Cite this Entry
“Vengeance.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vengeance. Accessed 19 Apr. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
vengeance
noun
ven·geance
ˈven-jən(t)s
: punishment given in return for an injury or offense : retribution
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
