vendetta

noun

ven·​det·​ta ven-ˈde-tə 

1

: blood feud

2

: an often prolonged series of retaliatory, vengeful, or hostile acts or exchange of such acts

waged a personal vendetta against those who opposed his nomination

Did you know?

Vendetta has been getting even in English since the 19th century, when it first was used to refer to feuds between different clans or families. It later extended in meaning to cover acts that are known to feature in feuds of all kinds. English speakers borrowed vendetta, spelling and all, from Italian, in which it means "revenge." It ultimately traces to the Latin verb vindicta, of the same meaning. That Latin word is also in the family tree of many other English terms related to getting even, including avenge, revenge, vengeance, vindicate, and vindictive.

Examples of vendetta in a Sentence

He waged a personal vendetta against his rivals in the Senate.

Recent Examples on the Web

That act dredges up old vendettas, buried secrets and cold ambitions. —Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 5 Sep. 2024

The winners are: Era 1: CT and Rachel Era 2: Bananas and Laurel Era 3: Cory and Tori Era 4: Horacio and Michele Will the winners try to keep their teams strong or will personal vendettas stand in the way? —Nick Caruso, TVLine, 14 Aug. 2024

For someone to come into our group, have this weird vendetta against me. —Jason Pham, StyleCaster, 1 Aug. 2024

Edwards pegs the murder as the culmination of a personal vendetta. —Sophie Brookover, Vulture, 25 Apr. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Italian, "retribution, revenge, blood feud," going back to Latin vindicta — more at vindictive

First Known Use

1855, in the meaning defined at sense 1

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Kids Definition

vendetta

noun

ven·​det·​ta ven-ˈdet-ə 

1

: a feud between different families

2

: a series of acts marked by bitter hostility and motivated by a desire for revenge

waged a personal vendetta against those who opposed his candidacy