VENGEFUL Synonyms: 68 Similar and Opposite Words

vengeful

adjective

ˈvenj-fəl

Definition of vengeful

as in vindictive

likely to seek revenge a vengeful person never lets go of a grudge

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Example Sentences

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.

Recent Examples of vengeful Jimmy’s vengeful spirit comes back to haunt the Owens, who must enlist the help of Jet, Franny, and the group of reticent townswomen to banish him back to the nether-realm. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Sep. 2026 When her beloved dog Krypto is poisoned, Kara teams with a vengeful teen (Eve Ridley) and a rambunctious bounty hunter (Jason Momoa) to hunt down the vicious outlaw responsible. — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 11 Sep. 2026 In her latest book, Stay Buried, siblings new to a remote Vermont town discover that the locals live in fear of a vengeful spirit. — The Week Us, TheWeek, 2 Sep. 2026 Now people on both sides of the border will pay for a senseless trade war instigated by a petulant and vengeful president. — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 24 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for vengeful

Recent Examples of Synonyms for vengeful

Adjective

In a filing explaining their position in August, prosecutors said that while mistakes were made, corrective measures have since been taken and there is no evidence of vindictive prosecution that would warrant further hearings or sanctions.

— Jason Meisner, Chicago Tribune, 1 Oct. 2026
His character Rupert, Rebecca’s vindictive and philandering former husband who lost Richmond to her in the divorce, was the original three-season installment’s main antagonist.

— Nellie Andreeva, Deadline, 30 Sep. 2026

Definition of vindictive

Adjective

Participants fell into their roles a little too well and, after a prisoner rebellion, increasingly cruel forms of punishment from the guards and a number of students suffering mental breakdowns, the experiment was ended on the sixth day.

— Marlow Stern, Variety, 25 Oct. 2026
But these townswomen — whether the undersexed Bakerwoman (Ella Bruccoleri ) or the prim, cruel busybody the Tailor’s Wife (a deliciously scheming Elizabeth Debicki) — are deeply unhappy with their own lot in life.

— Angelica Jade Bastién, Vulture, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of cruel

Adjective

The vicious cycle of the current model, of course, is that to become marketable a team needs to get and retain good players, and to do that a school has to spend money, which cycles the whole thing back to the start.

— Dana O’Neil, CNN Money, 24 Oct. 2026
Governments were expected to rescue struggling banks, which held large amounts of sovereign debt, creating a vicious cycle.

— Jenni Reid,Chloe Taylor, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026

Definition of vicious

Adjective

The malicious system component silently installs apps that look like weather tools, app lockers and other everyday utilities.

— Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 23 Oct. 2026
The Federal Bureau of Investigation also warned that malicious actors could exploit the vulnerabilities to execute code remotely, putting sensitive data and networks at risk.

— Jenny Lee, CNBC, 22 Oct. 2026

Definition of malicious

Adjective

Manchester police say over the weekend, vandals wreaked havoc leaving several hateful, antisemitic, racist and homophobic slurs on people's property.

— Paul Burton, CBS News, 19 Oct. 2026
Ossoff went a step further, accusing Collins himself of amplifying hateful content and saying that his former congressional aide had intervened on behalf of a Holocaust denier.

— AJC.com, AJC.com, 9 Oct. 2026

Definition of hateful

Adjective

About 70% of the members of Brazil’s lower house and 80% of the Senate are considered to be hostile to environmental and climate agendas, according to the observatory.

— ABC News, ABC News, 22 Oct. 2026
In a turnabout from Orbán’s hostile approach to Kyiv, Magyar’s government has expressed solidarity with Ukraine and designated Russia a national security threat.

— Justin Spike, Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026

Definition of hostile

Adjective

The debut show from the pact, about the disappearance of Spanish petty criminal El Nani, remains in development, Corral confirmed.

— Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 20 Oct. 2026
Before the arrival of the Sisters of Mary Morning Star, the death row inmates had been plagued by petty infighting.

— Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Oct. 2026

Definition of petty

Browse Nearby Words

venged

vengeful

vengefulness

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Style

“Vengeful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vengeful. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

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Synonyms of vengeful

adjective

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