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vengeful

adjective

ˈvenj-fəl How to pronounce vengeful (audio)
Definition of vengefulnext
as in vindictive
likely to seek revenge a vengeful person never lets go of a grudge

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 vengeful 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 Here was a candidate who got shot—as Roosevelt was, in 1912, by a man who’d been instructed to do so in a dream by the vengeful ghost of William McKinley—and kept on campaigning. — Rachel Monroe, New Yorker, 17 Aug. 2026 Then the Legislature must act, looking for ways to keep state employees from abusing their power in pursuit of a political or vengeful agenda. — Orlando Sentinel Editorial Board, The Orlando Sentinel, 3 Aug. 2026 The show finds ways to expose the worst in its characters, their pettiest, most vengeful, greediest parts. — Los Angeles Times, 3 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for vengeful
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vengeful
  1. vindictive
  2. revengeful
  3. cruel
  4. vicious
  5. malicious
  6. hateful
  7. hostile
  8. petty
Adjective
  • For the crime of vindictive, self-satisfying violence in the name of protecting her family, the narrative gods of Lioness will take it all away from Joe, from a mission accomplished to a family life secured.
    — Andy Andersen, Vulture, 6 Sep. 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
  • 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
  • Like her, Americans are also so tired of being screwed by an administration that’s not only grossly incompetent and cruel but corrupt as well.
    — Sun Sentinel Editorial Board, Sun Sentinel, 6 Sep. 2026
  • Rather than heroic, these costly and horribly uncertain stunts come across callous and cruel.
    — Richard Lawson, HollywoodReporter, 3 Sep. 2026
Definition of cruel
Adjective
  • The former is a liberal democracy, the latter a vicious dictatorship whose rulers kill their own people to stay in power.
    — Max Boot, Washington Post, 14 Sep. 2026
  • Even fluffy Alana looks at him strangely — in heat and vicious.
    — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of vicious
Adjective
  • After engaging with the box, the user sees a line of text, often obscured in a way to mask any malicious commands.
    — Dan Goodin, ArsTechnica, 11 Sep. 2026
  • The rap star has a malicious prosecution case pending against the lawyer in federal court in New York.
    — Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of malicious
Adjective
  • Mary Petchlikoff, 69, of Dearborn, recalls mobilizing on 9/11 to help protect Muslim students who were starting to receive some hateful harassment.
    — Niraj Warikoo, Freep.com, 12 Sep. 2026
  • Some critics predicted Mohammed would use a trial as a platform to spread hateful views of America and its allies.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of hateful
Adjective
  • Worse, her estranged sister April (Naomi Watts), a drama queen, and hostile mother, Diane (Dianne Wiest), fly in from their Michigan hair salon to add to Sandra’s suffering.
    — Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 17 Sep. 2026
  • European authorities have linked Moscow to a rising number of drone incursions, sabotage incidents, cyberattacks, and other hostile acts across the continent in recent months.
    — Anniek Bao, CNBC, 16 Sep. 2026
Definition of hostile
Adjective
  • The good and the bad of democracy — healthy debate and petty political theater — were on display that weekend in Brussels.
    — Esther King, The Dial, 15 Sep. 2026
  • Mehring’s characters include petty criminals, unscrupulous lawyers, Galician Jews, Freikorps heavies, local and international businessmen, Prussian generals, and the everyday citizens inhabiting the streets of Berlin’s old and rather dingy center.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 9 Sep. 2026
Definition of petty

Browse Nearby Words

venged
vengeful
vengefulness
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Cite this Entry

“Vengeful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vengeful. Accessed 18 Sep. 2026.

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