vengeful

adjective

venge·​ful ˈvenj-fəl How to pronounce vengeful (audio)
: revengeful: such as
a
: seeking to avenge
b
: serving to gain vengeance
vengefully adverb
vengefulness noun

Examples of vengeful in a Sentence

The robbery was committed by a vengeful former employee. The fire was a vengeful act of destruction.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That is the weapon on hand for vengeful Abby Anderson (Kaitlyn Dever), who fatally tees off on Joel to avenge her dead father. Bryan Alexander, USA Today, 22 Apr. 2025 The fact that the game asked us to then empathize with Abby, whose vengeful slaughter is so utterly devoid of anything like humanity, irked me even more. Erik Kain, Forbes.com, 21 Apr. 2025 The film follows a group of corporate employees at a tech company whose team-bonding retreat devolves into a bloody fight to survive the tests of a vengeful executive. Brent Lang, Variety, 21 Apr. 2025 As Ellie, players get a brief taste of idyllic life in the post-apocalypse before something terrible happens, inciting her vengeful mission. Joshua Rivera, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for vengeful

Word History

Etymology

venge + -ful entry 1

First Known Use

circa 1586, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of vengeful was circa 1586

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Cite this Entry

“Vengeful.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vengeful. Accessed 30 Apr. 2025.

Kids Definition

vengeful

adjective
venge·​ful ˈvenj-fəl How to pronounce vengeful (audio)
: wanting revenge
vengefully adverb
vengefulness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on vengeful

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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