Revenge and Avenge: Since revenge and avenge are in the hundreds of combinations of words in the English language, which have the same meaning, but are not the same, one must be aware of the distinction between revenge and avenge in order to utilize these terms correctly. Many people, believing that words such as revenge and avenge are identical, employ the two words interchangeably. This is not a good idea. While they share a similar meaning in both words, both are distinct and can be used in various contexts. This article aims to clear any doubts out of the minds of those who read it, particularly those whose mother tongue isn’t English.
Definition of Avenge
Avenge refers to the act of punishing someone for a wrong they’ve committed in order to seek justice. Avenge is used as a verb within sentences, similar to revenge but more objective and less personal – its focus being more on ensuring equity rather than harm or punishment being administered against one person for another’s own reasons than by others who seek to vindicate them themselves. Let’s consider some instances;
- He was murdered after the evil man was sentenced and served their sentence.
- “We do not wish to seek justice for her death,” her family members stated.
- Don’t worry. I will exact revenge against all those responsible.
- Police exacted revenge against his son’s killers by arresting them and taking legal action to prosecute them.
Avenge takes an approach that emphasizes seeking justice over revenge; often occurring for the benefit of other people in need.
Definition of Revenge
Revenge is defined as any action undertaken against another to get back at them for wrongdoings done to you; often this means hurtful acts committed against another in retaliation for wrongdoings and violations committed against them by them or someone else. Revenge rarely serves justice – usually, it serves personal motives or the satisfaction of personal vendetta. Here are some instances of revenge being used:
- We are ready to avenge (verb) our mistakes from past games.
- Research the situation first before making your decisions.
- After recounting her tale to the lady, who was visibly stunned, she made up her mind to take action against them (noun).
- We intend to exact vengeance for the death of our father.
Retaliation stems from feelings of resentment, discontentment, or anger at the injustice being done to us and is our personal form of vengeance. An excellent illustration is provided by the first instance mentioned earlier, the team wasn’t directly attacked by other players but felt humiliated and had a strong desire for revenge after losing. Although neither legal nor illegal action was taken during these matches, their losses became an excuse to vent our fury at each other.
Revenge and Avenge -The Usage
Avenge:
Avenge is an intransitive verb; to avenge is to take revenge on behalf of another for any harm done to yourself or those close to you, or punish someone for something they have done that wronged you directly or indirectly. “Vengeance” means seeking recompense for what has been done wrong to another and can be understood more fully through studying these examples of this word’s usage.
- The sisters vowed to seek justice for the killing of their parents.
- One of the victim’s loved ones expressed a strong desire for revenge against her loved one.
- I will have my revenge against those who betrayed us.
- Murderer sentenced to death
Revenge:
Revenge has long been associated with the concept of vengeance, revenge and justice. Revenge can be used both verbally and nounically; its definition in texts of literature often describes this word. Revenge can also refer to hurting someone back for something they’ve experienced wrong or injury due to revengeful acts done upon them by other.
- As revenge for their actions, they decided to murder their family members as an act of revenge.
- His mother promised her son he would exact revenge against those responsible.
- Jack found himself overwhelmed by feelings of contempt and animosity.
- As previously discussed, “revenge” is rarely used as a verb in modern English; however, as an adjective, it bears similar connotations. Additionally, its sense of “avenge” is now the preferred way of referring to revenge in contemporary English.
Grammatical Classification/Difference Between Revenge and Avenge:
“Revenge” can be both defined and applied as an adjective.
Noun:
- Avenge is not a proper noun.
- Revolt is typically used as an adjective.
Verb:
- Clawback refers to taking revenge.
- Revenge can also be seen as an adjectival term.
Meaning:
- Avenge refers to inflicting harm or punishing for an incident or wrong done against us.
- Revenge can be defined as any act intended to cause pain and punish for acts committed against another.
Why is the difference between Revenge and Avenge?
Revenge involves seeking justice against those who wronged another, most often through taking revenge for those they have wronged (e.g. loved ones). By contrast, Avenge aims at taking actions against those responsible who wronged others.
- America took revenge for 9/11 by assassinating Osama Bin Laden.
- Osama promised his followers he would exact revenge against American soldiers who committed wrongs in Afghanistan.
- These examples make clear the distinction between the meanings of these two terms.
- * Both “avenge” and “retribution” have similar meanings, yet are used differently depending on the situation.
- As with revenge, vengeance involves punishing those responsible for harming you or someone close to you by inflicting harm upon them.
- “Vengeance is both a verb and a noun.
If someone has wronged one of your significant others and you seek revenge against those responsible, that is considered “avenging”. Avenging is different from taking revenge because it allows you to seek your own form of vengeance while at the same time vowing that justice be served against an act done against them that you deem wrongful.
Table:
| Revenge | Avenge | |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Inflicting harm in response to perceived wrongdoing or offense | Seeking justice or retribution on behalf of someone else who has been wronged |
| Motivation | Personal satisfaction, retaliation, anger | Sense of justice, duty, moral obligation |
| Subject | Individual or group responsible for harm or offense | The injustice committed against someone else |
| Action | Acts of violence, sabotage, and reputation damage | Lawful means, legal recourse, advocacy |
| Outcome | The cycle of violence, negative consequences | Restoration of justice, deterrence of future wrongdoing |
What Is Avenge?
Avenging is the act of seeking justice in any form possible.
What is Revenge and Its Definitions?
Retribution is driven by anger and the desire to take revenge. Although individuals may feel the urge to do right, their motivation may lie elsewhere; thus it’s known as “petty revenge”, derived from “vengeance”.
Are You Seeking Revenge by Act of Avenging?
Avenge is another term for revenge; it refers to any action taken in response to the injustice being done, generally with the aim of seeking redress and seeking justice for what has been wronged. Avenge can often be motivated by emotion and used both positively and negatively in situations.
Can You Avenge Someone? Avenging is absolutely possible and typically involves legal action against those responsible in order to provide justice for those harmed. Avenging may take the form of direct or indirect actions depending on your specific circumstances.
Retaliation comes in many forms, from physical attacks to legal proceedings. Whatever form you take should aim at restoring justice rather than acting from malice or anger.
What Does Slaying Someone Mean?
Avenging someone is taking action to right a wrong or injustice done against them. Avenging may include seeking revenge, seeking redress for wrongs committed against the victim, or getting justice on their behalf.
Revenge is often motivated by a desire for justice and to right wrongs, rather than out of anger or other malignant motives. Retribution comes in various forms, and must always be carried out with kindness and consideration for optimum results.
Are Avenge and Revenge Synonyms?
Avenge is a method of taking revenge for an offense committed against us by acting to serve justice and uphold law and order. Avenge usually involves harm being done to someone.
What is the Verb Form of Revenge?
Revenge is the act of taking vengeance on oneself or others for harm that has been done to them, either directly or indirectly.
Sentences to Take Vengeance.
- Here are a few examples I created to demonstrate how to incorporate each term in sentences.
- The victim wanted revenge against her cheating spouse and she planned on taking action against him.
- After witnessing his family being slaughtered following his passing, he dedicated his life to seeking revenge.
- The superhero utilized his powers to exact revenge on those responsible for killing off both of his parents.
- The army was determined to exact revenge for their fallen soldiers by entering into battle themselves.
- He got revenge against her by scheduling a romantic night in bed with one of her closest friends.
- Retaliating against her superiors, she quit her job and formed her own business.
- He had long planned vengeance against his enemies before finally realizing his scheme.
- After her parents were murdered and she became determined to exact justice on those responsible, she made it her mission in life to exact revenge against their killers.
- “I am Vengeance.” is what Batman will proclaim in the upcoming film.
Assuming someone is intentionally being evil is not the best solution, but neither should being forceful be an option either.
The Final Thoughts
Unfortunately, avenge and vengeance are often misunderstood due to their similar meaning. While both seek to right a wrong, avengers tend to do it out of justice rather than personal satisfaction; performing either action will result in revenge being taken upon one or the other party.