revengeful

adjective

ri-ˈvenj-fəl How to pronounce revengeful (audio)
Definition of revengefulnext
as in vengeful
likely to seek revenge the minister urged his congregation to be less revengeful and more forgiving in spirit

Synonyms & Similar Words

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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 revengeful 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 This latest installment finds the Sully family grieving one of their own when a new threat emerges in the form of the Fire tribe, an antagonistic group of Na’vi volcano-dwellers led by the revengeful Varang (Oona Chaplin in her franchise debut). — Jack Dunn, Variety, 2 Dec. 2025 Eventually, this revengeful streak will result in loneliness and isolation. — Nicole Froio, refinery29.com, 29 Oct. 2024 Artemis was revengeful toward anyone who trespassed in wild nature, and trespassing could mean neglect, like not paying your dues. — Robert Sullivan, Vogue, 20 June 2023 The club came back with wins over Heights Norhill and a revengeful victory over Post Oak on Sunday, but leaving the bases loaded three times is going to all but ruin any team’s hopes for a big win. — Robert Avery, Houston Chronicle, 9 July 2019
Recent Examples of Synonyms for revengeful
  1. vengeful
  2. vindictive
  3. cruel
  4. malicious
  5. vicious
  6. hateful
  7. hostile
  8. petty
Adjective
  • And the who, what and why of the vengeful spirit is the narrative pull of the play — along with the tense anticipation of more revelations, suspicions and shocks.
    — Frank Rizzo, Variety, 26 Aug. 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
Definition of vengeful
Adjective
  • Even her decision to send Bernard out to clean feels more vindictive than logical.
    — Noel Murray, Vulture, 28 Aug. 2026
  • Family blames cousin’s conviction on a vindictive ex, but the letter writer’s history with him suggests a different story.
    — Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of vindictive
Adjective
  • Having Sheridan actually be a cruel person was one of the key audience expectations the writer-director hoped to flip in the pursuit of laughs.
    — William Earl, Variety, 28 Aug. 2026
  • But Triage does have a moment in which an ember of the old cruel optimism flickers.
    — Charles Finch, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of cruel
Adjective
  • That leaves a short window during which malicious activity can contaminate the prediction machinery again.
    — Atharva Gosavi, Interesting Engineering, 28 Aug. 2026
  • An attacker can then register the site and plant malicious instructions on it.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of malicious
Adjective
  • Detectives charged him with murder, manslaughter and criminal possession of a weapon for the vicious attack that killed his mother, 57-year-old Josefa Soto de Guzman, on Friday.
    — Colin Mixson, New York Daily News, 26 Aug. 2026
  • Pace, skill, a vicious shot, the ability to make opposition defenders look like fools.
    — James Horncastle, New York Times, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of vicious
Adjective
  • Grabs a ketchup bottle and garnishes his face, before squirting mustard into his hateful, piggish eyes.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Doukoure characterized Tuesday's rhetoric as hateful but said CAIR and members of the Muslim community have become accustomed to being targeted because of their advocacy.
    — Gino Vicci, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
Definition of hateful
Adjective
  • Forecasters said the system is expected to be short-lived because of hostile environmental conditions starting on Friday that will prevent it from developing further.
    — Natalie Neysa Alund, USA Today, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Electronic warfare systems such as NGJ-MB are carried by aircraft and use advanced electronics to interfere with or counter hostile electromagnetic systems.
    — Neetika Walter, Interesting Engineering, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of hostile
Adjective
  • Trump will depart sooner or later, the banners will be torn down and much of his petty talk will be and should be forgotten.
    — Letters to the Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026
  • The players air their grievances, which are essentially a pile of petty conflicts and resentments that, as Alice warned, can be traced back to the team fracturing into cliques.
    — Keith Phipps, Vulture, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of petty

Browse Nearby Words

revenged
revengeful
revenger
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Revengeful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/revengeful. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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