To Avenge

1. (transitive) To take vengeance (for); to exact satisfaction for by punishing the injuring party; to vindicate by inflicting pain or evil on a wrongdoer.
2. (intransitive, obsolete) To take vengeance.
3. (transitive, archaic) To treat revengefully; to wreak vengeance on.

Synonyms

• (take vengeance): bewreak, get back at, retaliate, take revenge
• (treat revengefully): spite

Usage notes

The object of "avenge" is generally the act of injury or the injured party, never (in modern usage) the injuring party. The injuring party may be specified with "on," as in "to avenge X on his killer," but this is rather more common with "take/get revenge" and "revenge oneself" than with "avenge."