Word Origin & History

revenge late 14c. from O.Fr. revengier, from re-, intensive prefix, + vengier "take revenge," from L. vindicare "to lay claim to, avenge, punish" (see vindicate).To avenge is to get revenge or to take vengeance; it suggests the administration of just punishment for a criminal or immoral act. Revenge seems to stress the idea of retaliation a bit more strongly and implies real hatred as its motivation. ["The Columbia Guide to Standard American English," 1993]The noun is first recorded 1540s.

Example Sentences for revenge

In one case I should have my revenge ; in another case I should have my liberty.

This was the way, then, that he intended taking his revenge.

Surely if Revenge is a 'kind of Justice,' it is a 'wild' kind!

Blood revenge was nothing but an exercise of revenge and it had all the limitations of revenge.

Notwithstanding this catastrophe, the five guns opposed to the Revenge continued their fire, and kept it up to the last.

The madman threw out his arms in a passionate longing for revenge.

He said at a later period: "I determined to revenge myself on the devil by contempt."

His lust of revenge and of hate brought him back to reality.

There was a fire in his heart, a mad desire for revenge ; he was, what drunkards must be, essentially selfish.

These words were like a dagger to the lady's bosom and she resolved to have revenge.