sb., adv., and a. Forms: α. 4 veniance, -iaunce, -y(e)aunce, 4–5 venieaunce, 5 veniauns, -iawnce, weniaunce; 4 veniounse, 5 venions. β. 4 vengaunse, 4–6 -aunce, 4–5 -ance, -ans; 4 vengiaunce, 5 -anse, 6 -ans; 4 vengeans, 4–6 -aunce, 4– vengeance (7 veng’ance), 6 vengence; 4 wengans, -anz, -aunce, -eans, -eance, 4, 6 Sc., wenganco, 6 Sc. wengence. [a. AF. veniaunce, -ance, veng(e)aunce, -ance, = OF. and F. vengeance (It. vengianza, Sp. venganza, Pg. vinganza), f. venger VENGE v.]
1. The act of avenging oneself or another; retributive infliction of injury or punishment; hurt or harm done from vindictive motives.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 827. Son bigan wenganz to kiþe. Ibid., 13184. But þis ded was sald ful dere,… Wit a greithful soth vengeance.
c. 1315. Shoreham, III. 248. He þat spilleþ mannes lyf, Veniounse hyt schel acwyte.
c. 1380. Wyclif, Serm., Sel. Wks. I. 149. Þis is noo good praier, but more axinge of Goddis venjaunce.
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour (1868), 37. She tolde … that it was the uengeaunce of God that fell on her, the which she had welle deserued.
1474. Caxton, Chesse, II. iv. (1883), 53. For hit is the most hyest and fayr vengeance that a man may doo.
1535. Coverdale, Ps. xciii. 1. Thou God to whom vengeaunce belongeth, shewe thy self.
1592. Kyd, Murther I. Brewen, Wks. (1901), 287. The blood of the iust Abel cried … for vengeance and reuenge on the murderer.
1613. Purchas, Pilgrimage (1614), 156. Diuine mercie … remoued the Christians to Pella out of the danger, that without any impediment the floud-gates of vengeance might bee set wide open for Desolations black-guard to enter.
1667. Milton, P. L., I. 170. But see the angry Victor hath recall’d His Ministers of vengeance and pursuit Back to the Gates of Heav’n.
1757. Gray, Bard, 96. Stamp we our vengeance deep, and ratify his doom.
1769. Junius Lett., xv. (1788), 92. The injuries you have done … demand not only redress, but vengeance.
1837. W. Irving, Capt. Bonneville, III. 67. Alarm signals, to arouse the country and collect the scattered bands for vengeance.
1891. Farrar, Darkn. & Dawn, xxv. That in some way she regarded Britannicus … as the ultimate resource of her vengeance and despair.
b. In the phrase to take (also † nim) vengeance.
1297. R. Glouc. (Rolls), 6859. Þe king … suor he nolde abide, Þat he nolde uerst nyme vengaunce in is side.
a. 1300. Cursor M., 6094. Þair goddes i me on wil wrake, O þam mi wengeance sal i take.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Melib., ¶ 49. Savinge your grace, I can nat seen that it mighte greetly harme me though I toke vengeaunce.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 5780. God can wel vengeaunce therof take.
c. 1400. Maundev. (Roxb.), xii. 51. In taken of þe vengeaunce þat Godd tuke on þa fyue citeez.
1460. Capgrave, Chron. (Rolls), 106. He receyved him with grete worchip, took veniauns on his enimes.
c. 1489. Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, ii. 59. Vengance we sholde take therof.
1526. Tindale, Rom. xiii. 4. To take vengeaunce on them that do evyll.
1611. Shaks., Cymb., V. i. 8. Gods, if you Should haue ’tane vengeance on my faults, I neuer Had liu’d to put on this.
1727. Bailey (vol. II.), Avenger, one who takes Vengeance on an Offender.
1808. Scott, Marmion, II. xxxi. Full soon such vengeance will he take, That [etc.].
1847. Sarah Austin, Ranke’s Hist. Ref., III. 17. The strong city of Pavia, on which cruel vengeance was taken for the resistance it had made.
c. Personified or otherwise regarded as an entity.
1602. Shaks., Ham., II. ii. 510. Arowsed Vengeance sets him new a-worke.
1642. D. Rogers, Naaman, 39. Left to conflict nakedly with hell and vengeance, till it carry them away quicke.
1721. Young, Revenge, II. i. Vengeance is still alive; from her dark covert … She stalks in view.
1799. Campbell, Pleas. Hope, I. 395. Where was thine arm, O Vengeance!
a. 1839. Praed, Red Fisherman. Look how the fearful felon gazes On the scaffold his country’s vengeance raises.
1891. Marie A. Brown, trans. Runeberg’s Nadeschda, 67. Then saw I vengeance beckon, it lit my path In years of woe.
2. With a and pl. An act or instance of retributive or vindictive punishment. (Also as in 1 c.)
a. 1300. Cursor M., 1592. For-þi in forme of iugement He thoght a neu wengaunce to sent.
c. 1400. Sowdone Bab., 14. For the offences to God i-doon Many vengeaunces haue befalle.
c. 1440. Jacob’s Well, 41. Foure vengaunces comyn to man here in erthe for fals tythyng.
c. 1480. Henryson, Fables, Wolf & Lamb, xxi. It cryis ane vengeance vnto the heuinnis hie.
1659. Hammond, On Ps. cix. 6–10. Sad executions, judgments, and vengeances.
a. 1704. T. Brown, Sat. agst. Woman, Wks. 1730, I. 56. He falls a willing pris’ner to her arms, There meets a veng’ance of ne’er-ending harms.
1718. Pope, Iliad, XIII. 832. With his full strength he bent his angry bow, And wing’d the feather’d vengeance at the foe.
1728. P. Walker, Life Peden (1901), I. 155. Hasty marriages are sudden vengeances.
1791. Burke, App. Whigs, Wks. VI. 220. Taking … a cruel vengeance on these deluded wretches.
1838. Thirlwall, Greece, xxxi. IV. 201. Thrasybulus … animated his men by … the prospect of a just vengeance.
1873. Miss Broughton, Nancy, I. 45. I am planning five distinct and lengthy vengeances against Bobby.
b. In imprecations, usually with on. Also rarely without article. Obs. or arch.
a. 1500[?]. Chester Pl., XIII. 164. Must we afore the pharisies appeare? A vengeance on them, far and neere!
1562. J. Heywood, Prov. & Epigr. (1867), 178. A vengeance on that lame iade.
1591. Shaks., Two Gent., II. iii. 21. A veng’ance on’t, there ’tis.
1604. [? Chettle], Wit of Woman, G 4 b. A vengeance pepper such braines, as cannot beare one draught of Ipocras.
1814. Scott, Wav., xxx. D’ye think the lads … will care for … yer stool o’ repentance? Vengeance on the black face o’t!
c. A person of a violent temper.
1711–2. Swift, Jrnl. to Stella, 21 March. The D— he is! married to that vengeance!… Who would have her?
3. Used to strengthen interrogations. ? Obs.
1598. R. Bernard, trans. Terence (1607), 167. Thr. Where are the other? San. What other in a vengeance.
1607. Shaks., Cor., III. i. 262. I would they were in Tyber. What the vengeance, could be not speake ’em faire?
1620. Frier Rush, 28. His wife … said vnto him: what a vengance needest thou to take a seruant?
1663. Butler, Hud., I. iii. 213. But what a vengeance makes thee fly From me too, as thine Enemy?
a. 1779. D. Graham, Writings (1883), II. 40. What the vengeance uncle, sudna fouks die when they’re auld?
1828. Scott, F. M. Perth, vi. Art thou beside thyself, boy? or what a vengeance takes thee from the city, like the wing of the whirlwind?
4. With a vengeance: † a. With a curse or malediction. Obs.
1525. W. Smith, Merry Iests Widow Edyth (1573), D j b. In she goth,… And came out agayne, saying wt a vengeaunce: They must go by water.
1581. Hanmer, Jesuites Banner, E 2 b. Let such then goe with a vengeaunce, and leaue those toyes for Poets to prate of and let them preach better stuffe vnto the people.
1598. R. Bernard, trans. Terence, Andria, II. i. Abi hinc in malam crucem. Away with a vengeance: get thee hence with a mischiefe: goe hence with sorrow enough.
1635. R. N., trans. Camden’s Hist. Eliz., IV. 493. The Queene … waxing impatient gave him [Essex] a cuffe on the eare and bade him be gone with a vengeance.
1673. Vinegar & Mustard (Hindley), III. 8. You are land-sick now, and not sea-sick, with a vengeance to you for me.
1836. Carlyle, in Froude, Life in London, I. 70. Why not quit literature—with a vengeance to it—and turn, were it even to sheep herding?
b. As an intensive: With great force or violence; in an extreme degree; to an unusual extent.
1568. V. Skinner, trans. Montanus’ Inquisition, 24 b. He shall come downe with a vengeaunce.
1594. Greene & Lodge, Looking Gl., I. ii. 236. A plaister … that mends him with a verie vengeance.
1611. Middleton & Dekker, Roaring Girle, M j. Are you too well, too happy? Alex. With a vengeance.
1654. H. L’Estrange, Chas. I. (1655), 88. The furious multitude … struck him down, and malled him with a vengeance.
1673. [R. Leigh], Transp. Reh., 63. Accordingly he lays it on with a vengeance.
1711. ‘J. Distaff,’ Char. Don Sacheverellio, 6. This … is proving the … Existence of Gyants with a Vengeance.
1761. Foote, Liar, II. Wks. 1799, I. 293. His friends … gloss over his foible, by calling him an agreeable novelist: and so he is, with a vengeance.
1834. L. Ritchie, Wand. by Seine, 94. Some readers will think that we are drawing our traveller’s bow with a vengeance.
1867. M. Arnold, Celtic Lit., 29. Here, at any rate, are materials enough with a vengeance.
† c. So With the vengeance. Obs.–1
1693. Humours Town, 29. This is following the Dictates of Reason with the vengeance.
† 5. As adv. a. Extremely, intensely. Obs.
1548. [L. Shepherd], John Bon & Mast person (1808), 5. Is not here a mischeuous thynge? The Messe is vengaunce holye for all ther sayeinge.
1566. Pasquine in Traunce, 41. I remember that disputation. It is vengeaunce subtile. Ibid., 44. They were also vengeance angry against the Pope.
1607. Shaks., Cor., II. ii. 6. That’s a braue fellow: but hee’s vengeance prowd.
a. 1616. Beaum. & Fl., Little Fr. Lawyer, II. i. How it grumbles! This Sword is vengeance angry.
1710–1. Swift, Jrnl. to Stella, 21 Jan. It has snowed terribly all night, and is vengeance cold.
† b. Not at all, never. Obs.
1556. J. Heywood, Spider & Fly, xxxix. 7. Vengeance the whit I am for their woordes the nere.
† 6. As adj. Very great or large. Obs.–1
1602. Fulbecke, 2nd Pt. Parall., Introd. 4. I bought the booke … because it was in English: yet there is a vengeance deale of Latin in it.
7. attrib. and Comb., as vengeance-cryer, -crying, -oath, -scathed, -sword, -taking.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Melib., ¶ 65. For al-be-it so that alle tarying be anoyful, algates it is nat to repreve in yevinge of Iugement, ne in vengeance-taking, whan it is suffisant and resonable.
c. 1515. Cocke Lorell’s B., 11. Cursers, chyders, and grete vengeaunce cryers.
1608. Sylvester, Du Bartas, II. iv. Schisme, 1061. Lord, sheath again thy vengeance-sword a space.
1617. A. Newman, Pleas. Vis., 15. Haples wretches, with the memory Tortur’d of woe, and vengeance-crying Sins.
1838. S. Bellamy, Betrayal, 43. When o’erthrown In first rebellion, vengeance-scathed he fled.
1844. Mrs. Browning, Duchess May, xxviii. Thou and I have parted troth,—yet I keep my vengeance-oath.
Hence † Vengeancely adv.; † Vengeancer.
c. 1440. Promp. Parv., 508/2. Veniawncere,… vendicator, ultor, vindex.
1622. Fletcher, Prophetess, I. iii. Yet I could poyson him in a Pot of Perry, He loves that veng’ancely.
