Definition

1. Verb:
   • To take revenge, to avenge: The act of inflicting harm or punishment on someone in return for a wrong or injury they have committed. It focuses on retaliating for a past grievance.
   • To seek vengeance: To pursue or plot retaliation against a person or group perceived as having caused harm.

Usage Examples

• Verb:
  • Anh ta quyết tâm phục thù cho gia đình. (He is determined to avenge his family.)
  • Họ âm mưu phục thù kẻ đã phản bội mình. (They plotted revenge against the one who betrayed them.)
  • Nuôi chí phục thù suốt nhiều năm. (To nurture a desire for vengeance for many years.)

Advanced Usage

• The concept often implies a calculated, deliberate, and sometimes prolonged pursuit of retribution, rather than an immediate, impulsive reaction.
• It can be used in both personal contexts (e.g., family honor) and broader, almost literary contexts (e.g., historical or clan rivalries).

Variants and Related Words

• Sự phục thù (n): Revenge, vengeance. The noun form referring to the act or concept itself.
  • Sự phục thù của họ thật đáng sợ. (Their vengeance was terrible.)
• Trả thù (v): A more common and direct synonym for "to take revenge."
• Báo thù (v): To exact revenge, often with a similar meaning to "phục thù."

Synonyms

• Avenge: To inflict harm in return for (an injury or wrong done to oneself or another).
• Retaliate: To make an attack or assault in return for a similar attack.
• Get even: (Informal) To retaliate or pay back.

Related Idioms and Phrases

• Nuôi chí phục thù: To nurture/harbor a desire for revenge. This phrase emphasizes a long-held, burning intention for vengeance.
  • Hắn nuôi chí phục thù từ khi còn nhỏ. (He has nurtured a desire for revenge since childhood.)
• Phục thù rửa hận: To take revenge to wipe away a grievance. A set phrase emphasizing the cleansing of dishonor through vengeance.

1. Revenge, avenge
   • Phục thù cho ai
     To revenge (avenge) someone
   • Nuôi chí phục thù
     To nurture the will to avenge oneself, to nurture vindictiveness