getting even

Học thuật
Thân thiện
Definition

Noun 1. The act of retaliating or taking revenge; achieving a state of equal score or status after a perceived wrong or disadvantage. It refers to the action of returning like for like, often to settle a score or achieve a sense of justice or balance.

Usage

The noun "getting even" describes the process or fact of retaliation. It is often used in contexts involving personal disputes, competition, or justice. - It typically functions as the subject or object of a sentence. - It carries a connotation of settling accounts, which can range from playful to serious.

Examples
  • As a subject:
    • Getting even was all he could think about after the insult.
  • As an object:
    • She was more interested in reconciliation than in getting even.
    • The team focused on getting even in the second half after a poor start.
Advanced Usage
  • "to be about getting even": to have retaliation as the primary motive.
    • His lawsuit wasn't about the money; it was about getting even.
  • "a matter of getting even": an issue of achieving retribution or balance.
    • For him, it became a simple matter of getting even.
Variants and Related Words
  • Get even (verb phrase): To retaliate or equalize a score.
    • He vowed to get even with his rival.
  • Even the score (idiom): To retaliate so that things are equal or fair again.
  • Retaliation (noun): The action of returning a military attack or harming someone because they have harmed you.
  • Payback (noun, informal): Retribution or revenge.
Synonyms
  • Retribution
  • Revenge
  • Retaliation
  • Reprisal
  • Vengeance
Related Idioms
  • "An eye for an eye": A principle of retaliation where the punishment corresponds in kind and degree to the injury.
    • He didn't believe in forgiveness; his philosophy was an eye for an eye.
  • "Give as good as one gets": To retaliate with equal force or effectiveness.
    • In the debate, she gave as good as she got. (This idiom relates directly to the reference context "gave them as good as we got.")
Noun
  1. a reciprocal group action
    • in return we gave them as good as we got

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