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.
While working at an underground fight club where Singh often shows up, Kid lays out an ambitious—and vicious—plan to avenge his mom. Jennifer M. Wood, WIRED, 23 Dec. 2024 In a marquee matchup Saturday night, No. 7 USC defeated perennial powerhouse No. 4 Connecticut 72-70, avenging its Elite Eight loss to the Huskies in April and strengthening its status as one of the nation’s elite teams. Tee Baker, Los Angeles Times, 22 Dec. 2024 But with her father's death avenged, Beth suggests the two head into town, where there's a great local bar totally free of dreaded outsiders. Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 16 Dec. 2024 Why then is her second message to her father’s casket a promise to avenge his death? Ben Travers, IndieWire, 16 Dec. 2024 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

Dictionary Entries Near avenge

Cite this Entry

“Avenge.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/avenge. Accessed 29 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

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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