revenge
//ɹəˈvɛnd͡ʒ//
Forms
- Plural
- revenges
- present (v1)
- revenge
- past (v2)
- revenged
- past participle (v3)
- revenged
- present participle
- revenging
- 3rd person singular
- revenges
Definitions
1.Any form of personal, retaliatory action against an individual, institution, or group for some alleged or perceived harm or injustice.
- When I left my wife, she tried to set fire to the house in revenge.
- After tearing his fave T-shirt unintentionally, my brother wreaked revenge on me by ripping my most prized blazer apart.
- Liam Neeson has revealed that years ago he contemplated carrying out a racist revenge attack after someone close to him was raped.
2.A win by a previous loser.
- “I'm through with all pawn-games,” I laughed. “Come, let us have a game of lansquenet. Either I will take a farewell fall out of you or you will have your sevenfold revenge”.
1.To take revenge for (a particular harmful action) or on behalf of (its victim); to avenge.
- The gods are just, and will revenge our cause.
- Arsenal revenged their loss to Manchester United last time with a 5–0 drubbing this time.
- However, my veneration for that illustrious man was so great, that on the night when he died, I revenged him finely on his two principal enemies.
2.To take one's revenge (on or upon someone).
Frequency
Overall
Rare· #4796
By learning goal
- Everyday conversation
- Rare
- General reading & writing
- Rare
- Academic
- Rare
- Literature
- Rare
Etymology
From Middle French revenge, a derivation from revenger, from Old French revengier (possibly influenced by Old Occitan revènge (“revenge, comeback”), from Old Occitan revenir (“to come back”)), a variant of Middle French revancher (whence deverbal French revanche), from Old French revenchier.