revenge

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   Any form of personal, retaliatory action against an individual, institution, or group for some alleged or perceived harm or injustice.

   Indifference is the sweetest revenge.

2. 2
   noun

   A win by a previous loser.

   “I'm through with all pawn-games,” I laughed. “Come, let us have a game of lansquenet. Either I will take a farewell fall out of you or you will have your sevenfold revenge”.

3. 3
   verb

   To take revenge for (a particular harmful action) or on behalf of (its victim); to avenge.

   Arsenal revenged their loss to Manchester United last time with a 5–0 drubbing this time.

4. 4
   verb

   To take one's revenge (on or upon someone).

   Come, Antony, and young Octavius, come, Revenge yourselves alone on Cassius.

5. 5
   verb

   To take vengeance; to revenge itself.

   a bird that will revenge upon you all

6. 6
   noun

   action taken in return for an injury or offense

7. 7
   verb

   take revenge for a perceived wrong

Etymology

From Middle French revenge, a derivation from revenger, from Old French revengier (possibly influenced by Old Occitan revènge (“revenge, comeback”), from Old Occitan revenir (“to come back”)), a variant of Middle French revancher (whence deverbal French revanche), from Old French revenchier. The variants Old French vengier (whence French venger) and Old French venchier are both descended from Latin vindicō, with stress-conditioned different parallel development in the inflectional forms. Doublet of revanche. Compare avenge and vengeance.