To seek revenge
Meaning
To attempt to harm or punish someone in return for a perceived wrong or injury.
Origin
The impulse to "seek revenge" is as ancient as human civilization itself, a primal response to injustice woven into the very fabric of our earliest societies. Before formalized legal systems emerged, many cultures, from the tribal to the sophisticated, operated under the principle of lex talionis—"an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth." This wasn't merely personal vendetta; it was often a communal mechanism for restoring balance, deterring future transgressions, and asserting honor. The very act of "seeking" implies a deliberate, often arduous pursuit, a journey born of a deep-seated human desire to right a perceived wrong. It reflects a timeless tension in the human experience, a struggle between the raw, burning demand for retribution and the cooler, often elusive, promise of mercy.
Examples
- After his business rival spread false rumors, he vowed to seek revenge by launching a competing product.
- The wronged knight traveled across kingdoms for years to seek revenge on the sorcerer who had cursed his family.