different between avenge vs vengeful

English

Etymology

From Middle English avengen, borrowed from Old French avengier, from a- (“upon”) + vengier, from Latin vindic?, vindic?re.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??v?nd??/

Verb

avenge (third-person singular simple present avenges, present participle avenging, simple past and past participle avenged)

1. (transitive) To take vengeance (for); to exact satisfaction for by punishing the injuring party; to vindicate by inflicting pain or evil on a wrongdoer.

   to avenge the murder of his brother
2. (intransitive, obsolete) To take vengeance.
3. (transitive, archaic) To treat revengefully; to wreak vengeance on.
   • 1609, Bishop Hall, Some few of David's Psalmes Metaphrased

     thy judgment in avenging thine enemies

Synonyms

• (take vengeance): bewreak, get back at, retaliate, take revenge
• (treat revengefully): spite
• See also Thesaurus:avenge

Usage notes

The object of "avenge" is generally the act of injury or the injured party, never (in modern usage) the injuring party. The injuring party may be specified with "on," as in "to avenge X on his killer," but this is rather more common with "take/get revenge" and "revenge oneself" than with "avenge."

Translations

Noun

avenge (plural avenges)

1. (archaic) An act of vengeance; a revenge.

Anagrams

• Geneva

English

Etymology

From venge +? -ful.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?ven?.f?l/

Adjective

vengeful (comparative more vengeful, superlative most vengeful)

1. Vindictive or wanting vengeance.

   His chains now broken, the prisoner turned a vengeful eye toward his former captors.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:vengeful

Hyponyms

• revanchist

Related terms

• avenge
• vengeance

Translations

Further reading

• vengeful in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• vengeful in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• vengeful at OneLook Dictionary Search