Word
avenge
US/əˈvɛndʒ/
UK/ɐvˈɛndʒ/
Definitions
01to seek justice for a wrong
B2 · Upper Intermediate
v. to punish someone for a crime or a bad thing they did to you or someone you care about.
v. to exact satisfaction for a wrong by punishing the injuring party; the focus is usually on vindicating the victim.
“In the movie, the hero seeks to avenge his father's death.”
“The protagonist spent years training in the mountains, determined to avenge the destruction of his village by the invading army.”
Synonyms
02to get revenge for yourself
C1 · Advanced Literary · Formal
v. to get revenge on someone for something they did to you.
v. to revenge oneself; used reflexively to indicate the subject is seeking satisfaction for a personal slight.
“He vowed to avenge himself on those who had lied about him.”
“The count was not a man to suffer an insult in silence; he waited decades to avenge himself upon his political rivals.”
Synonyms
Usage
The verb is transitive and takes a direct object, usually the person or act being punished.
Pitfall
He wanted to revenge his father
He wanted to avenge his father
Learners often use 'revenge' as a verb, but 'avenge' is the correct verb form for seeking justice for another person.
Real-World Examples
“Wales upset the World Cup finalists Norway 2-1 in Nations League A on Thursday night and next face Denmark in Cardiff, seeking to avenge last weekend’s 2-0 defeat in Copenhagen.” “Amleth feigns madness to keep from being murdered by his uncle, but he eventually avenges his father’s killing and becomes king of the Jutes.” “He aids the helpless and avenges the oppressed.” “Middlesbrough avenged last season’s exit at the hands of Doncaster with a 3-1 win thanks to goals from Kyle Joseph, Will Lankshear and Jeremy Sarmiento.” Etymology
From Middle English avengen, borrowed from Old French avengier, from a- (“upon”) + vengier, from Latin vindicō, vindicāre.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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