Crossword Dictionary

What's The Definition Of Revenge?

\Re*venge"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Revenged}, p. pr. & vb. n. {Revenging}.] [OF. revengier, F. revancher; pref. re- re- + OF. vengier to avenge, revenge, F. venger, L. vindicare. See {Vindicate}, {Vengerance}, and cf. {Revindicate}.] 1. To inflict harm in return for, as an injury, insult, etc.; to exact satisfaction for, under a sense of injury; to avenge; -- followed either by the wrong received, or by the person or thing wronged, as the object, or by the reciprocal pronoun as direct object, and a preposition before the wrong done or the wrongdoer. To revenge the death of our fathers. --Ld. Berners. The gods are just, and will revenge our cause. --Dryden. Come, Antony, and young Octavius, come, Revenge yourselves alone on Cassius. --Shak. 2. To inflict injury for, in a spiteful, wrong, or malignant spirit; to wreak vengeance for maliciously. Syn: To avenge; vindicate. See {Avenge}.
\Re*venge"\, v. i. To take vengeance; -- with upon. [Obs.] ``A bird that will revenge upon you all.'' --Shak.
\Re*venge"\, n. 1. The act of revenging; vengeance; retaliation; a returning of evil for evil. Certainly, in taking revenge, a man is even with his enemy; but in passing it over he is superior. --Bacon. 2. The disposition to revenge; a malignant wishing of evil to one who has done us an injury. Revenge now goes To lay a complot to betray thy foes. --Shak. The indulgence of revenge tends to make men more savage and cruel. --Kames.