Avenge
- Avenge
- 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 party; to vindicate by inflicting
pain or evil on a wrongdoer.
[1913 Webster]
He will avenge the blood of his servants. --Deut.
xxxii. 43.
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Avenge, O Lord, thy slaughtered saints, whose bones
Lie scattered on the Alpine mountains cold.
--Milton.
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He had avenged himself on them by havoc such as
England had never before seen. --Macaulay.
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2. To treat revengefully; to wreak vengeance on. [Obs.]
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Thy judgment in avenging thine enemies. --Bp. Hall.
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Syn: To {Avenge}, {Revenge}.
Usage: To avenge is to inflict punishment upon evil doers in
behalf of ourselves, or others for whom we act; as, to
avenge one's wrongs; to avenge the injuries of the
suffering and innocent. It is to inflict pain for the
sake of vindication, or retributive justice. To
revenge is to inflict pain or injury for the
indulgence of resentful and malicious feelings. The
former may at times be a duty; the latter is one of
the worst exhibitions of human character.
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I avenge myself upon another, or I avenge
another, or I avenge a wrong. I revenge only
myself, and that upon another. --C. J. Smith.
[1913 Webster]
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
2000.
:
Look at other dictionaries:
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
