venganza
/benˈɡanθa/
The Spanish word for revenge is venganza.
venganza is the most straightforward and general way to express the concept of revenge in Spanish.
Meaning: retaliatory action (noun)
Which one should you use?
While venganza is the general term, you may encounter other forms depending on the context. Revancha is frequently used in Latin America when referring to revenge in competitive scenarios. If you want to emphasize the personal nature of an act, you can use desquite personal.
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Latin America, revancha is commonly used for revenge in competitive contexts. In Mexico, the adjective vengativa is used to describe a person who has a vengeful nature.
How do you pronounce it?
/benˈɡanθa/
Did you know?
- Because venganza sounds quite heavy and dramatic, using it to describe a minor disagreement could make you sound like a character in a Telenovela.
- In literature, the concept of venganza is often linked to the word honra (honor), as revenge was historically seen as a tool to restore lost social standing.
- The suffix -anza in venganza is a linguistic relative of the English suffix 'ance', such as in 'reliance' or 'deliverance'.
Examples in context
- La venganza es dulce.Revenge is sweet.This sentence is useful for illustrating the common idiom that revenge is sweet.Tatoeba #1717225 by hayastan, translation #1575246 by isrtcify
- Tom quería la venganza.Tom wanted revenge.This sentence shows how to express wanting revenge.Tatoeba #1478578 by marcelostockle, translation #1092536 by CK
- Voy a tener mi venganza.I'll have my revenge.This sentence demonstrates how to say one will have their revenge.Tatoeba #3073932 by cueyayotl, translation #2941438 by CM
- Nada puede justificar la venganzaNothing can justify revenge.
- Tomaron represalias en contra de su competidorThey retaliated against their competitor.
- ¡Ganaremos este partido como una revancha por la derrota anterior!We will win this match as revenge for the previous defeat!
- 25 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Sofía and Daniel are discussing a character in a movie.
- SofíaEl protagonista busca venganza.The protagonist seeks revenge.
- DanielNo creo que la venganza sea buena.I don't think revenge is good.
- SofíaÉl solo quiere su venganza.He only wants his revenge.
- DanielEs una historia muy triste.It is a very sad story.
Sources
- Pronunciation: Wiktionary entry venganza, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries venganza, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
