revengeful

IPA/rɪˈvendʒ.fəl/
IPA/rɪˈvendʒ.fəl/

revengeful — adjective

  • revengefulpositive
  • more revengefulcomparative
  • most revengefulsuperlative

1. feeling a strong and lasting wish to harm or punish someone because of something

1.adjectiveC1
Definition

feeling a strong and lasting wish to harm or punish someone because of something they have done to you or to someone you care about; full of the desire to get even for a past wrong.

Example

After years of bullying, Salma felt a revengeful urge to humiliate her former classmate.

collocation: revengeful urge

The revengeful tone of Ari's letter surprised even his closest friends.

collocation: revengeful tone

Common collocations
  • revengeful + noun: revengeful urge, revengeful mood, revengeful plot, revengeful fantasy, revengeful letter, revengeful speech
  • be/seem/feel + revengeful
Synonyms
  • vengeful

    more common and slightly less intense; can describe both feelings and actions

  • vindictive

    focuses on a personality trait rather than a temporary state; implies a habit of holding grudges

  • spiteful

    describes small, mean acts rather than a deep desire for serious retaliation

  • unforgiving

    emphasises the refusal to let go of a past wrong rather than the active desire to harm

Antonyms
  • forgiving

    willing to let go of a past wrong without punishing the offender

  • merciful

    showing kindness by not punishing someone who has done wrong

Grammar Patterns

revengeful + noun (attributive)

be / seem / feel + revengeful (predicative)

Usage Note

Less common than 'vengeful' and mostly found in literary or formal contexts. Unlike 'vindictive', which can describe a personality trait, 'revengeful' usually describes a specific emotional state or intention tied to a particular grievance.

Common Mistakes

He felt revengeful after losing the game.
He felt angry after losing the game.
'Revengeful' is too strong for minor setbacks; it implies a serious personal wrong, not ordinary disappointment.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adjective/1

All four words describe a negative reaction to being hurt, but they differ in intensity, duration, and scope. 'Revengeful' is the most formal and literary; it suggests an all-consuming desire to get even, often tied to a specific event. 'Vengeful' is the everyday alternative — it covers both the feeling and the action of seeking revenge ('a vengeful crowd'). 'Vindictive' shifts the focus from the act to the person's character: a vindictive person habitually holds grudges and looks for opportunities to settle scores, even over minor slights. 'Spiteful' describes smaller, meaner acts done out of ill will ('a spiteful comment') rather than a grand plan for retribution. 'Unforgiving' is broader — it describes a refusal to forgive but does not necessarily imply active retaliation. For example, a vengeful ex-partner might spread rumours to ruin your reputation, while an unforgiving one simply refuses to speak to you.

vengeful ↗vindictive ↗spiteful ↗unforgiving ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

  • bitterly revengeful
  • darkly revengeful

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Formed in English by combining 'revenge' (from Old French 'revenge', itself from Latin 'revindicare' meaning 'to claim back' or 'to avenge') with the suffix '-ful', meaning 'full of'. The word has been used in English since the late 1500s.

First known use

1570

1570, in the meaning defined above