Dictionary
Thesaurus
Encyclopedia
Translator
Web

vengeance

 - 4 dictionary results

venge⋅ance

[ven-juhns]
–noun
1. infliction of injury, harm, humiliation, or the like, on a person by another who has been harmed by that person; violent revenge: But have you the right to vengeance?
2. an act or opportunity of inflicting such trouble: to take one's vengeance.
3. the desire for revenge: a man full of vengeance.
4. Obsolete. hurt; injury.
5. Obsolete. curse; imprecation.
6. with a vengeance,
a. with force or violence.
b. greatly; extremely.
c. to an unreasonable, excessive, or surprising degree: He attacked the job with a vengeance.

Origin:
1250–1300; ME < OF, equiv. to vengi(er) to avenge (see venge ) + -ance -ance


1. requital, retaliation. See revenge.


1. forgiveness.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
Cite This Source Link To vengeance
ven·geance   (věn'jəns)   
n.  Infliction of punishment in return for a wrong committed; retribution.

[Middle English, from Old French, from vengier, to avenge, from Latin vindicāre; see vindicate.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Word Origin & History

vengeance 
1297, from Anglo-Fr. vengeaunce, O.Fr. vengeance "revenge," from vengier "take revenge," from L. vindicare "to set free, claim, avenge" (see vindicate). Vengeful (1586) is from obsolete M.E. venge "take revenge" (c.1300).
"Vengeance is mine, ... saith the Lord. Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink; for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire upon his head." [Paul to the Romans, xii:19-20]
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Idioms & Phrases

vengeance

see with a vengeance.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
Cite This Source
Search another word or see vengeance on Thesaurus | Reference
FacebookTwitterFollow us: