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

Relevance

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 Most of the other relationships in the movie are hopelessly corrupted or poisoned in some way, as Letty moves between an unloving mother and a vengeful former lover, and others whose closeness is a weapon to be feared. — Jim Hemphill, IndieWire, 28 July 2026 Russia, already shock-therapied into unprecedented national calamity, was beginning to recoil from fervent Americanophilia into vengeful ultra-nationalism. — Cynthia Zarin, Harpers Magazine, 28 July 2026 There, Pinocchio witnesses James being bullied by his peers, and his vengeful instincts kick in. — Guy Lodge, Variety, 26 July 2026 The problem may be human error or bad luck, not a vengeful god. — Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for vengeful

Recent Examples of Synonyms for vengeful

Adjective

Circe the feminist But this version of Circe – angry, vindictive and, yes, witchy – didn’t appear out of thin air.

— Bailey Sincox, The Conversation, 6 Aug. 2026
The investigation of James Comey is vindictive and meritless—and unashamedly so.

— Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 30 July 2026

Definition of vindictive

Adjective

Oleksa watches them from the other end of the camera feed, in the middle of a gnarly interrogation with Kyle and Cruz — the latter silently watching Oleksa go through a cruel facsimile of her own violent recruitment crucible in the first season.

— Andy Andersen, Vulture, 16 Aug. 2026
Murder charge 'cruel and unusual,' advocate says Of cases where a child was unknowingly left in a car, about 41% do not lead to criminal charges against caregivers, Rollins said.

— Jeanine Santucci, USA Today, 15 Aug. 2026

Definition of cruel

Adjective

But Roy’s story of Annie (Arjun Raina), a New Delhi architecture student caught in a vicious cycle of failing and repeating his studies, gradually reveals itself as a sharp and poignant portrayal of youth, deftly poised between hope and cynicism.

— Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 18 Aug. 2026
Lawsuits, bureaucratic battles, boisterously divisive council arguments and vicious social media debates have been part of Bloomfield life for years, and intensified during Danielle Wong’s contentious time as mayor.

— Don Stacom, Hartford Courant, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of vicious

Adjective

This will likely not be the last time US courts see the malicious tactic, as AI tools become more commonplace in court systems.

— Ashley Belanger, ArsTechnica, 14 Aug. 2026
After all, an agent could accept a URL and download a malicious package without its human user even knowing.

— David Berreby, IEEE Spectrum, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of malicious

Adjective

The league's anti-hate committee was formed last year to deal with hateful and abusive online comments directed at players and the league.

— S.E. Jenkins, CBS News, 19 Aug. 2026
But arguably the script by Jones and director Brunner might have been a skoosh more impactful if the small-minded townsfolk, clearly coded as bigoted MAGA types, weren’t quite so hateful with only a few exceptions.

— Leslie Felperin, HollywoodReporter, 18 Aug. 2026

Definition of hateful

Adjective

The high risk of – and challenges of addressing – oil spills and other safety incidents in the hostile Arctic climate are another dissuading factor, as are environmental costs of operating there.

— Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 14 Aug. 2026
The episode picks up when Bret and Robert have their first tense interaction — their vaguely hostile and lightly homoerotic back-and-forth continues to be the highlight of the show for me.

— Louis Peitzman, Vulture, 13 Aug. 2026

Definition of hostile

Adjective

And yet the office—its smells and politics, its grievances petty, existential, or edifying—must have made an impression.

— Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 13 Aug. 2026
Look no further for a wake up call than these three actors representing House Hightower, powerful and imposing in their own right, but just as catty and petty as the Lannisters at the end of the day.

— Josh Wigler, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026

Definition of petty

Browse Nearby Words

venged

vengeful

vengefulness

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Vengeful.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vengeful. Accessed 21 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of vengeful

adjective

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster on vengeful

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

rigmarole

Popular in Grammar & Usage

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

How to Pronounce the Trickiest Menu Items

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Popular in Wordplay

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Even More Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

Popular

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes