Meaning & use
seek revenge
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Meaning
phraseidiomformal
To try to punish someone because they have harmed you.
Grammar: Takes 'on' before the person: seek revenge on someone.
Patterns
- seek revenge on someone
- seek revenge for something
- seek revenge against someone
After the court case, he vowed to seek revenge on those who had lied.
She did not seek revenge for the insult; she simply moved on.
The group threatened to seek revenge against its rivals.
Word forms
| past tense | sought revenge |
|---|---|
| past participle | sought revenge |
| -ing form | seeking revenge |
Common combinations
- seek revenge on someone
- He was still seeking revenge on the man who had fired him.
- seek revenge for something
- They sought revenge for the attack on their village.
- vow to seek revenge
- In the novel, the hero vows to seek revenge.
- seek revenge against someone
- The gang sought revenge against a rival group.
Synonyms and how they differ
- get revenge
- More common and less formal; it often suggests the revenge has already happened, while 'seek revenge' stresses the attempt.
- avenge
- A single verb meaning to punish someone for a wrong, often used for wrongs done to others; 'seek revenge' is more about your own hurt.
Opposites
Word family
Commonly confused: seek revenge or avenge?
seek revenge vs avenge
'Avenge' is a verb followed directly by the wrong or the person, as in 'avenge his death'; 'seek revenge' is a phrase and needs 'on' or 'for' before the details.
Practice
Which sentence uses the phrase with the correct preposition?
Choose one answer.
The phrase normally takes 'on' before the person, so option B is correct. 'To', 'with', and 'of' do not fit the fixed pattern.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “seek revenge”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.