# avenge

/əˈvɛndʒ/ (US) · /ɐvˈɛndʒ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/avenge
Updated: 2026-08-27

## Senses

### 1. to seek justice for a wrong

verb · CEFR B2

to punish someone for a crime or a bad thing they did to you or someone you care about.

For teachers: 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.

Usage: Takes a direct object, which can be either the person harmed or the wrong itself.

### 2. to get revenge for yourself

verb · CEFR C1 · Literary · Formal

to get revenge on someone for something they did to you.

For teachers: 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.

Usage: Used with reflexive pronouns like 'himself' or 'themselves', often followed by 'on' or 'upon'.

## Examples

- He promised to avenge his brother's death.
- The hero spent years training in the mountains so he could finally return and avenge his family.
- In many classical tragedies, the protagonist is driven by a moral obligation to avenge a fallen kinsman, even when such actions lead to their own inevitable destruction.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.