Word
avenger
US/əˈvɛndʒɝ/
UK/ɐvˈɛndʒɐ/
Definition
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.
Examples
“He saw himself as a secret avenger for the poor.”
“In the classic story, the hero returns home as an avenger to punish those who stole his family's land.”
“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.”
Examples
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.”
Usage
Often followed by the preposition 'of' to specify the victim or the crime being punished.
Real-World Examples
“Their real names are Tisiphone, Alecto, and Megaera: Avenger of Murder, Unceasing Anger, and Jealousy.” Etymology
From Middle English avengere; equivalent to avenge + -er.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/avenger