avenge - Wiktionary, the free dictionary


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From Middle English avengen, borrowed from Old French avengier, from a- (“upon”) + vengier, from Latin vindicō, vindicāre.

avenge (third-person singular simple present avenges, present participle avenging, simple past and past participle avenged)

  1. (transitive) To take vengeance (for); to exact satisfaction for by punishing the injuring party; to vindicate by inflicting pain or evil on a wrongdoer.

    to avenge the murder of his brother

  2. (reflexive) To revenge oneself (on or upon someone).
  3. (intransitive, obsolete) To take vengeance.
  4. (transitive, archaic) To treat revengefully; to wreak vengeance on.

    • 1609, Bishop Hall, Some few of David's Psalmes Metaphrased:

      thy judgment in avenging thine enemies

The object of "avenge" is generally the act of injury or the injured party, never (in modern usage) the injuring party. The injuring party may be specified with "on," as in "to avenge X on his killer," but this is rather more common with "take/get revenge" and "revenge oneself" than with "avenge."

to take vengeance for

to treat revengefully

avenge (plural avenges)

  1. (archaic) An act of vengeance; a revenge.