ENGLISH
REFERENCE

avenger

n. countable
C1 Advanced US //əˈvɛndʒɝ// UK //ɐvˈɛndʒɐ// avenger

n. someone who punishes a person for doing something wrong or harmful to others. You usually do this to get justice for a friend or family member.

n. one who inflicts punishment or retribution in response to a perceived wrong or injury. Often implies a sense of moral justification or personal duty to rectify a grievance.


SIMPLE

He saw himself as a secret avenger for the poor.

CONTEXTUAL

In the classic story, the hero returns home as an avenger to punish those who stole his family's land.

COMPLEX

The protagonist functions less as a traditional hero and more as a cold avenger, driven by a singular obsession to dismantle the criminal empire that ruined his life.

Synonyms
Origin

From Middle English avengere; equivalent to avenge + -er.

Usage

Often followed by the preposition 'of' to specify the victim or the crime being punished.

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