vengeance
The act of hurting someone back for what they did to you.
vengeance in a sentence
- The defeated knight swore vengeance on the rival who had tricked him.
- In the pantomime, the silly witch plots vengeance on the villagers who spoiled her spell.
Try an 11+ style question
Verbal reasoning papers often ask about a word like this.
Which word is closest in meaning to vengeance?
- Arevenge
- Bkindness
- Cmercy
- Dforgiveness
Show the answer
A: revenge. The other three mean the opposite of vengeance.
Which word is most nearly opposite in meaning to vengeance?
- Amercy
- Brevenge
- Cspite
- Dpayback
Show the answer
A: mercy. The other three mean nearly the same as vengeance.
Words that mean something similar
revenge, payback, spite
Words that mean the opposite
mercy, forgiveness, kindness
More words about emotions & feelings
- vex: To annoy or worry someone.
- vicarious: Felt by watching or hearing about what happens to someone else, rather than doing it yourself.
- weary: Very tired after long effort.
- wistful: Quietly sad because you are longing for something you cannot have.
- woe: A feeling of deep sadness or big trouble.
- wrath: Very great anger.
- wretched: Very unhappy, or in a very poor and miserable state.
- yearn: To want something so much that it almost hurts.
More words to explore
Sitting the 11+ in Kent, Medway or Buckinghamshire?
Plain-English guides to each test, from the councils’ own pages: Kent Test · Medway Test · Bucks Secondary Transfer Test