▪ I. revenge, n.
(rɪˈvɛndʒ)
Also 7 revendge.
[f. the vb., or a. obs. F. revenge, var. of revenche, mod. revanche: see the vb.]
1. a. The act of doing hurt or harm to another in return for wrong or injury suffered; satisfaction obtained by repayment of injuries.
| 1566 J. Studley Agamemnon, Euribates, Can not remembraunce of reuenge out of thy breast be reft? 1590 Shakes. Mids. N. ii. i. 89 The Windes,..As in reuenge, haue suck'd vp from the sea Contagious fogges. 1592 Kyd Murther I. Brewen Wks. (1901) 287 The blood of the iust Abel cried..for vengeance and reuenge on the murderer. 1609 B. Jonson Sil. Wom. iv. v, O reuenge, how sweet art thou! 1690 Norris Beatitudes (1694) 78 Private Revenge therefore is universally to be condemned, as utterly unlawful. 1721 Young Revenge i. i, What is revenge, but courage to call in Our honour's debts? 1771 Goldsm. Hist. Eng. in Lett. IV. 404 A desire of revenge upon the plunderers of his country. 1818 Byron Juan i. cxxiv, Sweet is revenge—especially to women. 1855 Tennyson Maud i. iii, Taking revenge too deep for a transient wrong. 1877 C. Geikie Christ (1879) 431 Plato held that revenge was wrong. |
| personif. 1588 Shakes. Tit. A. v. ii. 146 Tam. Reuenge now goes To lay a complot to betray thy Foes. Tit. I know thou doo'st, and sweet reuenge farewell. 1747 Collins Passions, Revenge impatient rose, He threw his blood⁓stain'd sword in thunder down. 1821 Shelley Hellas 729 Revenge and Wrong bring forth their kind, The foul cubs like their parents are. |
b. A desire to repay injuries by inflicting hurt in return. † Also in pl.
| a 1586 Sidney Arcadia iii (1605) 299 Fury in his eyes and reuenge in his heart. 1601 Shakes. All's Well v. iii. 10, I haue forgiuen and forgotten all, Though my reuenges were high bent vpon him. 1667 Milton P.L. i. 35 Th' infernal Serpent.., whose guile Stird up with Envy and Revenge, deceiv'd The Mother of Mankinde. 1690 Norris Beatitudes (1694) 186 That he be free from Revenge, which is another great Trespasser against Peace. a 1703 Burkitt On N.T. Luke vi. 29 Revenge is a very troublesome and vexatious passion. 1800 Cogan Passions ii. ii. (1802) 166 Revenge is an insatiable desire to sacrifice every consideration of pity and humanity to the principle of vindictive justice. 1866 G. Macdonald Ann. Q. Neighb. xxviii. (1878) 490 Revenge had passed away, but revenge is of death and deadly. |
2. With possessive pron. a. One's desire to be revenged, or the gratification of this.
| a 1547 Surrey æneid ii. 118 What if my chaunce were euer to return Victor to Arge, to folowe my reuenge. a 1586 Sidney Arcadia iii. (1605) 303 Being resolued to..satisfie her owne reuenge in their punishment. 1596 Shakes. Merch. V. iii. i. 56 If it will feede nothing else, it will feede my reuenge. 1611 Bible Jer. xx. 10 We shall preuaile against him, and we shall take our reuenge on him. 1651 Hobbes Leviath. ii. xxvii. 155 [He] breaks the Law, and protects himselfe for the future, by the terrour of his private revenge. a 1771 Gray Dante 15 Hear My Wrongs, and from them judge of my Revenge. 1797 Nelson in Duncan Life (1806) 44 The Spaniards threaten us they will come out and take their revenge. 1841 Emerson Ess., Prudence Wks. (Bohn) I. 97 On him who scorned the world, as he said, the scorned world wreaks its revenge. 1887 Rider Haggard Allan Quatermain iv, I shook my fist in his face and vowed to have my revenge. |
† b. The avenging of a person. Obs. rare.
| 1591 Shakes. 1 Hen. VI, i. v. 35 You all consented vnto Salisburies death, For none would strike a stroake in his reuenge. 1633 Bp. Hall Hard Texts, N.T. 32 His angels..doe ever attend either to their safeguard or revenge. 1653 Nissena 151 Hearing that her beloved Doralbo had run hazard of his life, onely in her revenge. |
3. A particular act of repaying injuries or wrongs. † Also const. of (= on).
| 1582 N. Lichefield tr. Castanheda's Conq. E. Ind. i. vii. 19 b, He ment to visit the town of Mousambick, and the dwellers therein, with some sufficient reuenge. 1625 Bacon Ess., Revenge, Publique reuenges are, for the most part, Fortunate... But in priuate Reuenges it is not so. a 1653 Gouge Comm. Heb. x. 28 In regard of the violent revenge he sought to do to the professors of the Christian Religion. 1771 Goldsm. Hist. Eng. in Lett. II. 179 Led them up to London, to take a signal revenge of his enemies. 1819 Shelley Cyclops 702, I have taken A full revenge for your unnatural feast. 1855 Milman Lat. Chr. iv. vi. II. (1864) 310 The revenge suggested by the malice of Sabinianus was the public destruction of the works of Gregory. |
4. Repayment of some wrong, injury, etc., by the infliction of hurt or harm.
| 1615 G. Sandys Trav. (1637) 85 Whose chiefe employment is..to labour a revenge of wrongs, and a restitution of losses. 1625 Bacon Ess., Of Revenge, The Reuenge of that wrong, putteth the Law out of Office. 1633 Bp. Hall Hard Texts, N.T. 163 Which God in his mercy would not take speedy revenge of. 1847 Mrs. A. Kerr tr. Ranke's Hist. Servia 59 It is remarkable that the revenge of murder is unknown. |
b. In phr. in revenge of, in return or retaliation for. † Also (in good sense), in recompense for (obs.).
| 1559 Queen Elizabeth in Strype Ann. Ref. (1824) I. ii. App. viii. 424 Censures of the churche,..how the popes have abusyd the same, in revenge of their owne private quarrels. 1591 Shakes. Two Gent. i. ii. 110 As in reuenge of thy ingratitude, I throw thy name against the bruzing-stones. 1602 Palmerin of Eng. i. l, Palmerin delivered the castle againe to Dramcisiand, who both in revenge of his worthinesse, and memorie of his owne good lucke called it the Invisible Fort of Fortune. 1680 Morden Geogr. Rect., Asiatic Tartary (1685) 391 Destroyed in revenge of so great a danger. 1819 Shelley Cyclops 616 Fire will burn his lamp-like eyes In revenge of such a feast! |
† 5. Punishment; chastisement. Obs.
| 1582 N. T. (Rhem.) 1 Pet. ii. 14 Rulers as sent by him [God] to the revenge of malefactors. 1592 Greene Philomela Wks. (Grosart) XI. 167 Therfore haue I here produced them in open court, that my dishonours may end in their reuenge. 1633 Bp. Hall Hard Texts, N.T. 183 That my powerfull and miraculous revenges of thee [Pharaoh] might be declared abroad. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iv. 660 Nor (if the Fates assist not) canst thou scape The just Revenge of that intended Rape. |
6. An opportunity of retaliation or retrieval; spec. in cards, chess, etc., a return game, esp. in phr. to give one (his) revenge.
| 1672 Wycherley Love in a Wood v. vi, I am afraid then you would give me my revenge, and make me jealous of you. 1731–8 Swift Polite Conv. iii, Well, Miss, you'll have a sad Husband, you have such good Luck at Cards... Well, my Lady Smart, I'll give you Revenge whenever you please. 1830 ‘Eidrah Trebor’ Hoyle Made Familiar 106 (Ecarte), Bets..made on condition of revenge are binding only against the winner. 1840 Dickens Old C. Shop xlii, He gives me my revenge, mind,..he stakes coin against coin. 1850 Thackeray Pendennis xliii, Three hundred [gold napoleons] which I had lost when I had my revenge. |
7. attrib., as revenge-killing, revenge play, revenge seeker, revenge tragedy.
| 1975 O. Sela Bengali Inheritance xvii. 147 That war was long over... A revenge killing after all this time was absurd. |
| 1967 Revenge play [see noia]. 1980 Dædalus Spring 133 He made Hamlet out of the tired revenge play tradition. |
| 1961 Guardian 25 Nov. 1/4 It was essential..to ‘tie the hands of West German militarists and revenge-seekers’. |
| 1957 N. Frye Anat. Crit. 209 The revenge-tragedy is a simple tragic structure. 1977 S. Schoenbaum William Shakespeare x. 154 Chettle..is remembered, if at all, for his revenge tragedy of Hoffman. |
▪ II. revenge, v.
(rɪˈvɛndʒ)
Also 5 Sc. reweng, raweng(e; 6 reueng.
[a. obs. F. revenger (var. of revencher, mod.F. revancher), f. re- re- + venger to venge.]
1. a. refl. To avenge oneself; to take revenge on or upon (rarely of) a person for (or † of) a wrong, injury, insult, etc., received or resented. Also without const.
| 1375 Barbour Bruce xviii. 232 He tuk purpos for to ryde..in-till Scotland, Till revenge hym, with stalward hand, Of the tray, travaill, and of teyne. 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 199 Quhethir gif ane abbot wald slaa ane of his monkis, quhethir aw he to defend him agayn his abbot, and to revenge him. 1530 Palsgr. 690/1 Who so ever doth me a displeasure, I wyll revenge me and I can. 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 275 In the whiche thing verely, I will so revenge me upon you. a 1593 Marlowe Edw. II, v. i, Methinks I should revenge me of my wrongs. 1633 Bp. Hall Hard Texts, N.T. 322 Know my omnipotence, and how easily I can revenge my self. 1672 Wycherley Love in a Wood v. vi, You would not revenge yourself upon the parson? 1818 J. C. Hobhouse Hist. Illustr. (ed. 2) 435 Monti at least revenged himself of Pius for placing him below Metastasio. 1874 Stubbs Const. Hist. I. xii. 520 He saw that his true policy was not to revenge himself by executions and confiscations. |
b. In pass. Chiefly const. of, on, or upon.
| c 1425 Wyntoun Cron. iv. v. 524 Hir awantagis for to se How best scho mycht rawengit be. 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 30 b, Josue commaunded the sonne to stande styll in one place, vnto he were reuenged vpon his ennemyes. 1598 Shakes. Merry W. ii. i. 30 How shall I be reueng'd on him? for reueng'd I will be? 1602 ― Ham. iii. iii. 75 Now Ile doo't, and so he goes to Heauen, And so am I reueng'd. 1683 W. Penn Acc. in Burton Eng. Emp. Amer. (1685) 116 In this they are sufficiently revenged on us. 1736 Gentl. Mag. VI. 331/2 Failing in that, she was amply revenged upon him in the next Reign. 1773 Observ. State of Poor 67 The poor are but too often revenged on their oppressors, by making reprisals on their property. 1820 Scott Let. in Lockhart (1837) IV. xi. 382 She has..a most decided desire to be revenged of him. |
2. trans. To inflict punishment or exact retribution for (an injury, harm, wrong, etc., done to oneself or another).
| 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 199 He is behaldin to defend him[self], and to revenge his dede at all his powere agayn him that wald sla him. 1470–85 Malory Arthur xx. x. 814 Therfor lete vs shape a remedy for to reuenge their dethes. 1509 Hawes Past. Pleas. xi. (Percy Soc.) 44 Who is opprest with a lytell wrong, Revengyng it he may it soone encrease. 1573 L. Lloyd Marrow of Hist. (1653) 242 Princes ought not to do wrong, nor yet revenge wrong with wrong. 1639 S. Du Verger tr. Camus' Admir. Events 25 One of the wounded desirous to revenge his hurt [etc.]. a 1727 Newton Chronol. Amended (1728) 246 Her brother.. was slain, and she revenged his death. 1779 Johnson L.P., West (1787) IV. 201 They revenged the disappointment by calling him a Methodist. 1819 Shelley Cyclops 704, I should have done ill to have burned down Troy And not revenged the murder of my comrades. 1865 Kingsley Herew. ix, So Hereward went off to..revenge the wrongs of the Countess Gertrude. |
b. Const. on or upon (a person).
| 1608 Shakes. Per. iii. iii. 24 The gods revenge it upon me and mine, To the end of generation! 1665 Manley Grotius' Low-C. Wars 275 Supposing..that the Clemency of the Enemy would not break its wonted bounds, and revenge the injury upon the innocent pledges. 1721 Swift Proposal Irish Manuf. ¶18 When my Betters give me a Kick I am apt to revenge it with six upon my Footman. 1840 Dickens Old C. Shop vi, Kit..felt more than half-disposed to revenge the fact upon him. |
c. To maintain, uphold, or vindicate (one's cause, etc.) by some act of retribution or punishment.
| 1526 Pilgr. Perf. (W. de W. 1531) 51 As communly passionate persones doth, lyke wood beestes, in reuengynge theyr owne quarelles. 1579 Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 169 That his authoritie was so miraculously reuenged with the horrible destruction of Chorah, Dathan, and Abiron. 1592 Greene Conny Catch. 23 The woman wept for anger that she had not some one by that might with iustice reuenge her quarrell. 1697 Potter Antiq. Greece iii. v. (1715) 51 Who undertook to revenge the Quarrel of Athens on the Bœotians. |
3. To avenge (a person, etc.).
| 1470–85 Malory Arthur ix. xxxii. 389, I wille be in the feld with you and reuenge you of youre enemyes. 1560 J. Daus tr. Sleidane's Comm. 90 To the intent he myght revenge his kynsfolkes. 1585 T. Washington tr. Nicholay's Voy. iii. ii. 71 b, [He] reuenged and set at libertie his countrie and people. 1799 Sheridan Pizarro ii. i, He may revenge, but cannot save thee. 1841 Elphinstone Hist. Ind. I. 593 The brother of the deceased immediately took up arms to revenge him. |
† 4. To punish, to exact punishment for (a wrong, crime, or sin). Obs.
| 1563 Homilies ii. xvii. i. (1640) 236 What is the cause of penury and scarceness..but a token of Gods yre revenging our wrongs and injuries done one to another. 1579 Lyly Euphues (Arb.) 160 If there were..a God that woulde reuenge the oppression of the widdowes and fatherlesse. 1611 Bible Ecclus. v. 3 The Lord will surely reuenge thy pride. 1697 Dryden Virg. Georg. iii. 709 Revenge the Crime, and take the Traytor's Head. 1713 Garth Epil. to Addison's Cato 8 Would you revenge such rash resolves—you may. |
† b. To inflict punishment or take revenge upon (a person). Obs.
| 1573 L. Lloyd Marrow of Hist. (1653) 237 Dion of Alexandria, who with silence revenged more his foes than with words. 1580 in Ellis Orig. Lett. Ser. ii. III. 95 She is without a lawful heire..who may either reward her frinds or revenge her enemies. a 1653 Gouge Comm. Heb. iv. 13, I will rescue my childe, and revenge the wrong-doer. |
5. absol. To take vengeance or revenge.
| 1456 Sir G. Haye Law Arms (S.T.S.) 199 Agayn him selff he will nocht geve him nouthir leve na gude will, to revenge agayn him. 1573 L. Lloyd Marrow of Hist. (1653) 240 Princes that revenge hastily, and especially wrongfully. 1598 R. Grenewey Tacitus, Ann. i. xi. (1622) 20 Germanicus..had an armie in readinesse to reuenge vpon the rebels. 1611 Bible Nahum i. 2 The Lord reuengeth, and is furious. 1633 Bp. Hall Hard Texts, N.T. 16 In that he..was both grievously displeased with these sinnes and yet loath to revenge. |