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vengeance
[ ven-juhns ]
noun
- infliction of injury, harm, humiliation, or the like, on a person by another who has been harmed by that person; violent revenge:
But have you the right to vengeance?
Synonyms: ,
Antonyms:
- an act or opportunity of inflicting such trouble:
to take one's vengeance.
- the desire for revenge:
a man full of vengeance.
- Obsolete. hurt; injury.
- Obsolete. curse; imprecation.
vengeance
/ ˈɛԻəԲ /
noun
- the act of or desire for taking revenge; retributive punishment
- with a vengeance(intensifier)
the 70's have returned with a vengeance
Word History and Origins
Origin of vengeance1
Word History and Origins
Origin of vengeance1
Idioms and Phrases
- with a vengeance,
- with force or violence.
- greatly; extremely.
- to an unreasonable, excessive, or surprising degree:
He attacked the job with a vengeance.
More idioms and phrases containing vengeance
see with a vengeance .Synonym Study
Example Sentences
Joel is dead and Ellie has vowed vengeance, setting the stage for the remainder of the season.
The film-maker is tormented by how a man who raised his voice for peace has become a victim of clan vengeance.
When he was demoted in September, Miller vowed to return to the Dodgers with a vengeance.
Aeschylus’ “Oresteia” concludes with “Eumenides,” depicting the establishment of the Areopagus court to replace cycles of vengeance, thus mythologizing the roots of jury trials.
That all goes out the window when he’s driven by vengeance.
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Related Words
More About Vengeance
doesvengeance mean?
Vengeance is a desire for revenge—retaliation against or punishment of someone for some kind of harm that they caused or wrongdoing that they did (whether real or perceived).
It can also be used as an even more intense synonym for revenge.
Vengeance often involves deep anger and a perhaps obsessive desire to get even by inflicting similar harm to the person who initially harmed the person seeking revenge. When it means the same thing as revenge, vengeance is often planned out over a period of time.
The related adjective vengeful is used to describe someone who is determined to seek vengeance or someone who is inclined to seek vengeance—someone who is vindictive.
The phrase with a vengeance means with great violence or intensity, as in My allergies have come back with a vengeance—I’ve been sneezing all day.
Example: The vengeance in your heart will eat away at you, which is like letting your enemy defeat you yet again.
Where doesvengeance come from?
The first records of the word vengeance come from the 1200s. It comes from the Old French venger, meaning “to avenge,” from the Latin verb Ի徱, meaning “to protect,” “to avenge,” or “to punish.” The words revenge, avenge, vindicate, and vindictive are all based on the same root. The suffix -ance is used to form nouns.
Vengeance implies an intensity to one’s desire for revenge. It’s often used alongside words like fury and wrath in accounts of those who have been wronged in some way. The phrase “Vengeance is mine” comes from a Bible verse advising people not to seek revenge.
Did you know ... ?
are some synonyms for vengeance?
are some words that share a root or word element with vengeance?
are some words that often get used in discussing vengeance?
How isvengeance used in real life?
The word vengeance is usually used in situations that involve serious wrongdoing, but it’s sometimes used in the context of less serious situations in order to be humorous.
Anyone with the political power to arbitrarily close a bridge in an act of vengeance against his or her political enemies has too much power
— John Yowan (@Yowan)
Somebody is having a great time right now while you are sitting in a corner with a lot of hate and vengeance in your heart. Time 2 let it go
— Alex Nemo Hanse (@IamthATGreat)
someone ate my greek yogurt that i just bought yesterday i am seeking vengeance and blood
— 🥸 (@vnapireweekend)
Try usingvengeance!
True or False?
The word vengeance can be used as a synonym of revenge.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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