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 Get ready for slashers, haunted hotels, vengeful women, the curse of the undead and much more. — Rebekah Faubion, PEOPLE, 17 Oct. 2026 None of these companies want to incur the wrath of this very vengeful president. — Nilay Patel, The Verge, 5 Oct. 2026 The first season began with two billionaire couples celebrating an engagement when a vengeful stranger (Stamos) interrupted their celebration. — Katie Kilkenny, HollywoodReporter, 25 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 See All Example Sentences for vengeful

Recent Examples of Synonyms for vengeful

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

Newsom and other opponents of capital punishment have long argued that the process is costly, cruel and discriminatory, with death sentences disproportionately handed down to defendants of color.

— Sonja Sharp, Los Angeles Times, 5 Nov. 2026
In a cruel twist of fate, the back half of the trailer shows Geoff being affected by severe confusion, sitting outside his house in the cold.

— Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of cruel

Adjective

For the moment, Trump’s vicious bigotry has alienated most independent voters and even some Republicans.

— David Yassky, New York Daily News, 2 Nov. 2026
Outside observers described his vicious consolidation of power as an attempt to compensate for his youth, his limited political experience, and his complete lack of a military background.

— Jieun Baek, Foreign Affairs, 30 Oct. 2026

Definition of vicious

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

Adjective

HinduPACT urged Hindus to remain vigilant and report any suspicious or hateful activity to local law enforcement.

— Emma Marsden, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Nov. 2026
Voters vehemently rebuked, with some important exceptions, Trump’s hateful policymaking, with Democrats taking both the house and the senate.

— Marissa R. Moss, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of hateful

Adjective

Its ability to strike land targets from considerable distances allows naval forces to conduct precision attacks without moving their launch platforms close to hostile territory.

— Kaif Shaikh, Interesting Engineering, 12 Nov. 2026
North Korea’s constitution had been offline since March 2024, months after Kim had declared at a party plenary meeting in late 2023 that the two Koreas are separate, hostile states.

— Brendan Cole, MSNBC Newsweek, 12 Nov. 2026

Definition of hostile

Adjective

Morrow is a 45-year-old woman convicted of misdemeanor assault and three petty offenses for blocking a Department of Homeland Security building and touching an agent’s shoulder in south Charlotte last November.

— Charlotte Observer, Charlotte Observer, 5 Nov. 2026
More recently, Newsom has resisted calls to fund Proposition 36, a ballot measure that levies harsher penalties for petty crime that voters overwhelmingly approved in 2024.

— Sacbee.com, Sacbee.com, 5 Nov. 2026

Definition of petty

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venged

vengeful

vengefulness

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“Vengeful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vengeful. Accessed 13 Nov. 2026.

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Synonyms of vengeful

adjective

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