avenge
/əˈvɛndʒ/
verb
Common
1.v.take revenge for a perceived wrong
“He wants to avenge the murder of his brother”
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avenge and revenge share a recorded sense, so the question is not what they mean but which one fits. avenge means “take revenge for a perceived wrong”. revenge means “action taken in return for an injury or offense”. revenge is the more common of the two in everyday English.
/əˈvɛndʒ/
1.v.take revenge for a perceived wrong
“He wants to avenge the murder of his brother”
/ɹiˈvɛndʒ/
1.n.action taken in return for an injury or offense
2.v.take revenge for a perceived wrong
“He wants to avenge the murder of his brother”
| avenge | revenge | |
|---|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /əˈvɛndʒ/ | /ɹiˈvɛndʒ/ |
| Said | uh-VENJ | ree-VENJ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Letters | 6 | 7 |
| Parts of speech | verb | noun, verb |
| Senses | 1 | 2 |
| How common | Common | Core |
| Synonyms | revenge, retaliate | retaliation |
Full entry for avenge · Full entry for revenge · More comparisons