avenge

verb

avenged; avenging

transitive verb

1
: to take vengeance for or on behalf of
vowed to avenge their murdered father
2
: to exact satisfaction for (a wrong) by punishing the wrongdoer
was determined to avenge the assault
avenger noun

Examples of avenge in a Sentence

The brothers vowed to avenge the death of their father. They vowed to avenge their father by capturing and punishing his killer.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The Huskies beat Marquette for a second time on the season in that span, and avenged their worst loss of the season– at Seton Hall on Feb. 15– with an 81-50 smackdown of the Pirates on Saturday. Staff and Wire Reports, Hartford Courant, 10 Mar. 2025 The Nets closed the game on a 10-2 run, but Golden State withstood the storm, completing their comeback and avenging a Nov. 25 loss to Brooklyn in San Francisco. C.j. Holmes, New York Daily News, 7 Mar. 2025 Brown’s success in those moments helped Merrillville avenge a 77-62 Duneland Athletic Conference loss to Valparaiso in January that was part of an 11-game skid. Dave Melton, Chicago Tribune, 5 Mar. 2025 In Seattle on Sunday, Washington hosts Oregon with the chance to avenge a one-point defeat by the Ducks earlier this month. Mark Schindler, The Athletic, 26 Feb. 2025 See All Example Sentences for avenge

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Anglo-French avenger, from a- (from Latin ad-) + venger to avenge — more at vengeance

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of avenge was in the 14th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Avenge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/avenge. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.

Kids Definition

avenge

verb
avenged; avenging
: to take vengeance for (an action) or on behalf of (a person)
avenger noun

More from Merriam-Webster on avenge

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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