Note 150 – Comparing ‘avenge’ and ‘revenge’

The words avenge and revenge have different meanings.  This blog shows the definitions of the two words as well as some examples of their use in sentences.

AVENGE

According to the Collins English Dictionary & Thesaurus, the verb avenge means “get revenge for” and “to inflict a punishment in retaliation for (harm, injury etc) done to (a person or persons)”.  Oxford Dictionaries online http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/avenge define it as to “inflict harm in return for an injury or wrong done to oneself or another”.  Some examples are as follows:

1. He avenged the death of his cousin.  [He got revenge for the death of his cousin]
2. How can you avenge a wrong done to you? [How can you inflict a punishment in retaliation to a wrong done to you?]

Can you use of the word avenge with a reflexive pronoun?

The Collins English Dictionary & Thesaurus explains that the use of avenge with a reflexive pronoun is considered acceptable nowadays, e.g. Stan avenged himself on his wife’s killer.

REVENGE

According to the Oxford Dictionaries online http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/revenge, the word revenge means “the action of hurting or harming someone in return for an injury or wrong suffered at their hands”.   Collins Dictionary & Thesaurus defines revenge as “the act of retaliating for wrongs or injury received” and “something done as a means of vengence”.  Some examples are:

1. Stan took revenge on his late wife’s lover.
2. Tom ran over Suzy’s cat on purpose, but she got her revenge.

My thoughts:  I found making sentences with the word avenge quite difficult to begin with, but once I found the phrase “get revenge for” in the thesaurus part of the Collins Dictionary & Thesaurus, it all clicked into place for me. I will now feel comfortable using this word in sentences.

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Until tomorrow…

Sandra

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Reference list:

The Collins English Dictionary & Thesaurus – published by HarperCollins Publishers, UK

Oxford Dictionaries online http://oxforddictionaries.com