revenge

Etymology

From Middle French revenge, a derivation from revenger, from Old French revengier (possibly influenced by Old Occitan revènge (“revenge, comeback”), from Old Occitan revenir (“to come back”)), a variant of Middle French revancher, from Old French revenchier. The variants Old French vengier (whence French venger) and Old French venchier are both descended from Latin vindicō, with stress-conditioned different parallel development in the inflectional forms. Compare avenge and vengeance.

noun

1. Any form of personal, retaliatory action against an individual, institution, or group for some alleged or perceived harm or injustice.
   Indifference is the sweetest revenge.
   When I left my wife, she tried to set fire to the house in revenge.
2. A win by a previous loser.

verb

1. (transitive) To take revenge for (a particular harmful action) or on behalf of (its victim); to avenge.
   Arsenal revenged their loss to Manchester United last time with a 5–0 drubbing this time.
   The gods are just, and will revenge our cause.
   to revenge the death of our fathers 1814, Lord Berners, The Ancient Chronicles of Sir John Froissart
   However, my veneration for that illustrious man was so great, that on the night when he died, I revenged him finely on his two principal enemies. c. 1840, Leigh Hunt, The Seer; Or, Common-places Refreshed
2. (transitive, reflexive) To take one's revenge (on or upon someone).
3. (intransitive, archaic) To take vengeance; to revenge itself.