Avenge vs Retribute - What's the difference?
avenge | retribute |
To take vengeance (for); to exact satisfaction for by punishing the injuring party; to vindicate by inflicting pain or evil on a wrongdoer.
* Milton
(obsolete) To take vengeance.
*
(archaic) To treat revengefully; to wreak vengeance on.
* Bishop Hall
To pay back; to give in return, as payment, reward, or punishment; to requite.
As verbs the difference between avenge and retribute
is that avenge is to take vengeance (for); to exact satisfaction for by punishing the injuring party; to vindicate by inflicting pain or evil on a wrongdoer while retribute is to pay back; to give in return, as payment, reward, or punishment; to requite.As a noun avenge
is a vengeance; a revenge.avenge
English
Verb
- to avenge the murder of his brother
- Avenge , O Lord, thy slaughtered saints, whose bones / Lie scattered on the Alpine mountains cold.
- Thou shalt not avenge , nor bear any grudge against the children of thy people, but thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself: I am the LORD.
- thy judgment in avenging thine enemies
Synonyms
* (take vengeance) bewreak, get back at, retaliate, take revenge * (treat revengefully) spite * See alsoAnagrams
*retribute
English
Verb
(retribut)- to retribute one for his kindness
- to retribute just punishment to a criminal
- (Locke)