avenge
- avenge
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/euh venj"/, v.t., avenged, avenging.
1. to take vengeance or exact satisfaction for: to avenge a grave insult.
2. to take vengeance on behalf of: He avenged his brother.
[1325-75; ME avengen < OF avengier, equiv. to a- A-5 + vengier < L vindicare; see VINDICATE]
Syn. vindicate. AVENGE, REVENGE both imply to inflict pain or harm in return for pain or harm inflicted on oneself or those persons or causes to which one feels loyalty. The two words were formerly interchangeable, but have been differentiated until they now convey widely diverse ideas. AVENGE is now restricted to inflicting punishment as an act of retributive justice or as a vindication of propriety:
to avenge a murder by bringing the criminal to trial. REVENGE implies inflicting pain or harm to retaliate for real or fancied wrongs; a reflexive pronoun is often used with this verb:
Iago wished to revenge himself upon Othello.
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Universalium.
2010.
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Avenge — A*venge , v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Avenged} (?); p. pr. & vb. n. {Avenging} (?).] [OF. avengier; L. ad + vindicare to lay claim to, to avenge, revenge. See {Vengeance}.] 1. To take vengeance for; to exact satisfaction for by punishing the injuring… … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
avenge — avenge, revenge mean to inflict punishment on a person who has wronged oneself or another. Once close synonyms, these verbs are now increasingly divergent in implications. One may avenge or revenge (oneself or another who is wronged), but avenge… … New Dictionary of Synonyms
avenge — avenge, revenge The principal differences to bear in mind are (1) that you avenge a person (including yourself) or an act but revenge only an act or yourself (usually on someone), and (2) that avenge is only a verb but revenge is a noun as well… … Modern English usage
avenge — (v.) late 14c., from Anglo Fr. avenger, O.Fr. avengier, from a to (see AD (Cf. ad )) + vengier take revenge (Mod.Fr. venger), from L. vindicare to claim, avenge, punish (see VINDICATE (Cf. vindicate)). Related: Avenge … Etymology dictionary
avenge — avenge; avenge·ment; … English syllables
avenge — [ə venj′] vt., vi. avenged, avenging [ME avengen < OFr avengier < a (L ad), to + vengier < L vindicare, to claim: see VINDICATE] 1. to get revenge for (an injury, wrong, etc.) 2. to take vengeance on behalf of, as for a wrong avenger n.… … English World dictionary
Avenge — A*venge , v. i. To take vengeance. Levit. xix. 18. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
Avenge — A*venge , n. Vengeance; revenge. [Obs.] Spenser. [1913 Webster] … The Collaborative International Dictionary of English
avenge — index penalize, repay, retaliate Burton s Legal Thesaurus. William C. Burton. 2006 … Law dictionary
avenge — [v] retaliate chasten, chastise, come back at, even the score, get back at, get even, payback, punish, redress, repay, requite, retribute, revenge, stick it to, take satisfaction, take vengeance, venge, vindicate; concepts 122,126 … New thesaurus
avenge — ► VERB ▪ inflict harm in return for (a wrong). DERIVATIVES avenger noun. ORIGIN Old French avengier, from Latin vindicare vindicate … English terms dictionary
