ESEN
Which one to use?Intermediateverbosustantivo / verbo
AvengevsRevenge
'Avenge' is to seek justice for someone wronged; 'revenge' is personal retaliation driven by resentment.
Side-by-side comparison
Avenge
verboUse it when someone acts to deliver justice for a wrong done to another person. The motivation is justice, not personal resentment.
Batman was driven to avenge his parents' murder by dedicating his life to fighting crime in Gotham.
The soldiers swore to avenge the fallen members of their unit by completing the mission.
She devoted years to avenging the victims of the fraud by pursuing the perpetrators through the courts.
Revenge
sustantivo / verboIt is personal retaliation: you want to make someone pay for a wrong done to you. More emotional and personal than "avenge". Can also be used as a verb.
He sought revenge for the public humiliation by spreading damaging rumors about the person responsible.
The saying "revenge is a dish best served cold" suggests that waiting to retaliate makes the payback more satisfying.
Her desire for revenge clouded her judgment and led her to make decisions that ultimately hurt herself more than her target.
Common mistake
- •The difference is perspective: "avenge" is to seek justice for another person (you act on someone's behalf).
- •"Revenge" is personal payback driven by resentment (you act for yourself to make someone pay for what they did to you).
Trick to remember it
- •"Avenge" starts with A for "Another": you act for someone else.
- •The Avengers avenge humanity, not themselves.
- •"Revenge" has RE for "REtaliating for a personal wrong".
Quick rule
- •"Avenge" = seek justice for another.
- •"Revenge" = personal retaliation motivated by your own resentment.
Did you know?
In the Marvel universe, the "Avengers" are named because they avenge humanity against villains, not because they seek personal revenge. Stan Lee chose the name precisely for the noble sense of "avenge" as collective justice. The "Punisher", by contrast, is the classic example of revenge: he acts out of personal resentment after his family's death, without a broader sense of justice.
Practise what you learned
Exercise 1 · Pick the right one
He wanted to _____ his brother, who had been treated unfairly by the coach.
Exercise 2 · Pick the right one
She felt a need for _____ after he publicly humiliated her.
Exercise 3 · Form the word
Related word pairs
CensorvsCensure
"Censor" = to suppress or examine content to remove what is inappropriate; "censure" = to formally condemn or criticize harshly.
FortuitousvsFortunate
"Fortuitous" = happening by chance or accident, unplanned; "fortunate" = lucky, having good fortune, favored by circumstances.
AbovevsOver
"Above" is at a higher level without contact; "over" implies covering, movement, or crossing.
ActuallyvsReally
"Actually" corrects or contrasts an assumption; "really" intensifies or confirms.
Bryan López
Founder of SpeakUP Academy