Definition

Noun: - The act of inflicting harm in return for an injury or wrong suffered; retribution: "Vengeance" refers to the action of punishing or harming someone because they have caused harm to you or someone else. It implies a deliberate, often intense, desire for payback. - Punishment inflicted in retaliation; revenge: It is the return of an injury or evil, often with a sense of righteousness or justice from the perspective of the avenger.

Examples of Usage

• (He promised to punish the betrayer for the wrong done to him.)
• (The story's central theme is the pursuit of revenge.)
• (This quote suggests that ultimate retribution belongs to a divine power, not to humans.)
• (She actively tried to get revenge for the harm done to her family.)

Advanced Usage

• "with a vengeance": Used as an idiom meaning with great force, intensity, or to a much greater degree than expected.
  • The rain came down with a vengeance. (The rain fell very heavily and violently.)
  • After the holidays, she returned to work with a vengeance. (She returned to work with much more energy and determination than before.)

Variants and Related Words

• Avenge (verb): To inflict harm in return for (an injury or wrong done to oneself or another).
• Avenger (noun): A person who inflicts harm in return for an injury or wrong.
• Revenge (noun/verb): A closely related synonym, often used more generally for the act of retaliation.

Synonyms

• Retribution: Punishment inflicted as vengeance for a wrong.
• Retaliation: The action of returning a military attack or repaying an injury.
• Reprisal: An act of retaliation, especially in war.
• Payback: Informal term for revenge or retribution.

Related Phrases

• "to take vengeance on/upon someone": To inflict punishment or harm on someone as revenge.
  • The hero vowed to take vengeance upon the villain.
• "to cry out for vengeance": To seem to demand or require revenge (often used figuratively).
  • The injustice of the act cried out for vengeance.

Related Idioms

• "Vengeance is mine": A proverbial saying (originally from the Bible) declaring that the right to exact ultimate revenge belongs to God, not to people. It is often used to argue against personal revenge.
• "Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned": This proverb (from a play) suggests that a woman seeking vengeance for being rejected can be extremely fierce, highlighting the power of vengeful feelings.

Noun

1. the act of taking revenge (harming someone in retaliation for something harmful that they have done) especially in the next life; I will repay, saith the Lord"--Romans 12:19
   • Vengeance is mine
   • For vengeance I would do nothing. This nation is too great to look for mere revenge--James Garfield
   • he swore vengeance on the man who betrayed him
   • the swiftness of divine retribution