avenging 1 of 2

adjective

Definition of avengingnext
as in vengeful

Related Words

Relevance

Dissimilar Words

avenging

2 of 2

verb

present participle of avenge
as in revenging
to punish in kind the wrongdoer responsible for a play about a prince who struggles to avenge his father's death

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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 avenging
Adjective
Toss in his portly stature and Hoskins was a perfect choice for the heroic plumber Mario, the avenging angel who stomps through worlds of evil turtles and living mushrooms, even if the actor was neither Italian nor American. — David Sims, The Atlantic, 31 May 2018
Verb
Singh and Oppenheim spent the next few days working on the script in a Mid-City office, then Singh spent five days alone rewriting the character of Hansen, infusing a mystical, avenging-angel undertone to his character. — Aaron Couch, HollywoodReporter, 12 Oct. 2026 From then on the press made a point of painting you as the furious, avenging sister. — Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2026 The game itself was one of the best contests of the regular season, as Clark and Cunningham escaped Atlanta with an overtime victory, avenging their earlier losses to Reese and the Dream earlier in the season. — Jackson Thompson Outkick, FOXNews.com, 3 Oct. 2026 The Wolverines can change the narrative by upsetting Oklahoma and avenging a 24-13 loss from last season. — Steve Megargee, Chicago Tribune, 11 Sep. 2026 After avenging his father’s murder, Kenji was forced to flee his country, carrying only his sword and his shame. — Rosy Cordero, Deadline, 21 July 2026 There’s a house on the property where Francis Ford Coppola filmed Vito Corleone avenging his mother’s death in The Godfather Part II, but Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana were interested in a much older tale about Sicily—one of gods and mortals. — Nicole Phelps, Vogue, 14 July 2026 While there has been talk of avenging that conflict on social media, the Argentina news outlet Clarín shared a letter from veterans of the Falklands War. — Pete Grathoff, Kansas City Star, 14 July 2026 Mir is focused on fulfilling his dad’s dreams of investing DarCo money in golf courses and country clubs, while Raj is focused on avenging their father’s death at the hands of his former lieutenant, Ahmad (Brian George). — Joe Otterson, Variety, 28 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for avenging
  1. vengeful
  2. retaliating
  3. retaliatory
  4. punishing
  5. vindictive
  6. revengeful
  7. malevolent
  8. malicious
Adjective
  • The drama, now streaming, traces her evolution from grieving mother to vengeful killer.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 19 Oct. 2026
  • Get ready for slashers, haunted hotels, vengeful women, the curse of the undead and much more.
    — Rebekah Faubion, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2026
Definition of vengeful
Verb
  • Ukrainian President Volodomyr Zelensky has defended the strikes as a crucial way of retaliating against Russia.
    — Julia Boehning, The Hill, 14 Oct. 2026
  • Meanwhile, the Houthis are reportedly retaliating by stepping up missile and drone attacks against Saudi targets including airports, military facilities, and an Aramco oil refinery.
    — Melissa Hancock, Fortune, 7 Oct. 2026
Definition of retaliating
Adjective
  • Newsom’s ‘retaliatory’ proposal What if California, the country’s most populous state with the most congressional districts, just as cynically redrew its maps to favor Democrats?
    — Jack Dolan, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Amendment supporters blame ‘leftists’ The proposal marked a major retaliatory response from Republican lawmakers, who voted last year to place the measure on the ballot.
    — Kacen Bayless, Kansas City Star, 4 Nov. 2026
Definition of retaliatory
Verb
  • Despite Hell Week's reputation as one of the military's most punishing endurance tests, more candidates drop out during the preceding weeks than during Hell Week.
    — James LaPorta, CBS News, 5 Nov. 2026
  • Filming in punishing desert temperatures, West’s team developed cooling suits that could circulate cold water through tubing worn close to the actors’ bodies.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 5 Nov. 2026
Definition of punishing
Adjective
  • His case was dismissed by the trial judge on the grounds of vindictive and selective prosecution and remains on appeal.
    — David Baldacci, Vanity Fair, 3 Nov. 2026
  • 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
Definition of vindictive
Adjective
  • DeMar DeRozan had 32, Russell Westbrook had a revengeful 22 and Malik Monk had 26 off the bench.
    — Zach Harper, New York Times, 13 Jan. 2026
  • Brian Heil played Don Jose with angst and ultimately, revengeful rage as Carmen’s spurned lover.
    — Marcia Luttrell, San Diego Union-Tribune, 21 Dec. 2025
Definition of revengeful
Adjective
  • That genre run includes one of her most recognizable roles, a maternally malevolent antagonist in David Cronenberg’s The Brood (1979).
    — Kelly Martinez, Entertainment Weekly, 28 Oct. 2026
  • Most are somewhere between the size of a golf ball and a fist, and their only real feature is a malevolent-looking mouth armed with five overlapping teeth for grinding and shearing kelp.
    — Joseph Ogilvy, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Oct. 2026
Definition of malevolent
Adjective
  • Authorities have described the more than two dozen threats as malicious hoaxes, and no actual attacks have been carried out.
    — Jenni Reid, CNBC, 7 Nov. 2026
  • Iran has been linked to at least one incident in Israel earlier in the spring, though that breach involved a lot more sophistication and malicious activity.
    — Jenna McLaughlin, NPR, 6 Nov. 2026
Definition of malicious

Browse Nearby Words

avenges
avenging
avenue
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Cite this Entry

“Avenging.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/avenging. Accessed 10 Nov. 2026.

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