vengeance

vengeance — noun

1. an act of causing pain or loss to a person who has hurt you, because you want th

1.nounB2
Definition

an act of causing pain or loss to a person who has hurt you, because you want them to suffer in return

Example

Yael swore vengeance on the man who stole her family's land.

take + vengeance + on [someone] + for [something]

The old general's eyes burned with vengeance against those who attacked his people.

burned with vengeance + against [someone]

Common collocations
  • take vengeance on/upon
  • seek vengeance
  • exact vengeance
  • swear vengeance
  • thirst for vengeance
  • desire for vengeance
Synonyms
  • revenge

    less formal, more common in everyday speech

  • retribution

    more formal, often suggests that the punishment is deserved by the victim's actions

  • retaliation

    focuses on the action of striking back rather than the emotional desire behind it

Antonyms
  • forgiveness

    choosing to let go of the desire to punish

  • mercy

    showing kindness by not punishing someone who has harmed you

Grammar Patterns

take + vengeance + on/upon [someone]

seek + vengeance

Usage Note

Frequently used in the fixed patterns 'take vengeance on/upon someone' and 'seek vengeance'. More formal and dramatic than the everyday word 'revenge', and less common in casual conversation.

Common Mistakes

I will take my vengeance from you.
I will take my vengeance on you.
The correct prepositions are 'on' or 'upon', not 'from'.
She wanted vengeance for the insult.' (technically correct but overly formal in casual speech)
She wanted revenge for the insult.
Use 'revenge' in everyday conversation; 'vengeance' suits writing or dramatic contexts.
Idioms

with a vengeance

idiom

used to say that something happens or is done with great force, energy, or intensity — often after a period of being quiet or weak

After a quiet winter, the tourist season returned with a vengeance.

The storm hit the coast with a vengeance, knocking down trees and power lines across three towns.

Word family

  • vengeful
    adjectiveC1
  • avenge
    verbC1
  • avenger
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All three words describe a response to harm, but they differ in emotion, formality, and focus. 'Vengeance' is the most dramatic and literary of the group — it carries a strong sense of personal anger and a desire to see the wrongdoer suffer. 'Revenge' is the everyday equivalent, used in both speech and writing ('He got his revenge by spreading rumours about her'). 'Retribution' is more impersonal and often implies that the punishment is morally deserved, which is why it is common in legal and religious contexts ('The criminal faced divine retribution'). 'Retaliation' focuses on the concrete action of striking back rather than the emotional motivation, and is typical in military or workplace contexts ('The company sued in retaliation for the broken contract'). Choosing between them depends on whether you want to emphasise the emotion (vengeance/revenge), the moral justice (retribution), or the tit-for-tat action (retaliation).

revenge ↗retributionretaliation ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • take vengeance
  • seek vengeance
  • swear vengeance
  • vow vengeance
  • exact vengeance

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchAnglo-NormanEnglish

Comes from Old French 'vengeance', which traces back to Latin 'vindicare' meaning 'to claim, avenge, or punish'. This same Latin root also gave English the words 'vindicate', 'vengeful', and 'revenge' (through a different French route). The word has carried its core meaning of personal retaliation since the 1300s.