vendicare
/ven.diˈka.re/
To avenge in Italian is vendicare.
vendicare means to take vengeance for something. A common collocation is vendicare un torto, which means to avenge a wrong. A related phrase you might encounter is far giustizia, meaning to seek justice.
Meaning: to take vengeance for (verb)
Which one should you use?
While vendicare means to avenge a wrong or a person, the reflexive form vendicarsi is used to mean 'to take revenge' for oneself.
How does it change in a sentence?
vendicare is a regular second-conjugation verb ending in -are. The third-person singular present indicative form is vendica, and the past participle is vendicato.
How do you pronounce it?
The word is pronounced /ven.diˈka.re/. It has 4 syllables, with the stress on the 3rd syllable.
Did you know?
- The concept of vendetta is a world-famous Italian loanword in English. It stems from the same root as vendicare and historically referred to a blood feud between families.
- In Italian, you can use vendicare to describe a sports team winning a match after a previous defeat, essentially 'avenging' their earlier loss.
- The Italian verb vendicare shares its ancient roots with the English word 'vindicate', though the modern English meaning has shifted toward proving someone right rather than seeking retribution.
Examples in context
- Io vendicherò la morte di mio padre.I will avenge my father's death
- Il protagonista cerca di vendicare l'onore della sua famiglia.The protagonist seeks to avenge his family's honor.
- Ha giurato di vendicare il maltrattamento degli innocenti.She vowed to avenge the mistreatment of the innocent.
- Si prenderà la sua rivincita su chi lo ha tradito.He will take revenge on those who betrayed him.
- Voglio vendicare il mio amico.I want to avenge my friend.
- Il soldato giurò di vendicare il re.The soldier swore to avenge the king.
- Non puoi vendicare un torto con la violenza.You cannot avenge a wrong with violence.
Example conversation
Two friends are discussing a plot of a movie.
- MartinaIl protagonista vuole vendicare il suo cane.The protagonist wants to avenge his dog.
- FrancescoÈ una storia molto triste, Martina.It is a very sad story, Martina.
- MartinaSì, ma lui è determinato a farlo.Yes, but he is determined to do it.
- FrancescoSpero che ci sia un lieto fine, Francesco.I hope there is a happy ending, Francesco.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “avenge” translations and entries vendicare, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries vendicare, CC BY-SA 4.0.
