這三個字指的都是報復、報仇。avenge 是個及物動詞，意為「為…報仇；為…進行報復」，所以 He swore to avenge his brother. 的意思是「他發誓要為他的兄弟報仇」而不是「他發誓要向他的兄弟報仇」；They avenged his death by burning the village. (他們燒毀村子，為他的死復仇)。若要指出報復、報仇的對象，則使用 on + 某人，如 He resolved to avenge the insult on the boss. (他決意為受辱向老板進行報復)。
當動詞用的 revenge也意為「為…報仇；為…進行報復」，但其所暗示的復仇動機比 avenge 要來得強烈一些。revenge 常與反身代名詞連用來構成 revenge oneself on somebody (for something) 句型，意為「(為某事) 向某人報復」：He revenged himself on those who had killed his parents. (他向那些殺害他雙親的人進行報復)；Tom wanted to revenge himself on John for his arrogance. (湯姆想報復約翰的傲慢無禮)。avenge 亦可與反身代名詞連用來構成 avenge oneself on somebody (for something) 句型：They avenged themselves on their enemy. (他們向敵人報復)；They began to avenge themselves on their neighbors for the years of suppression. (他們因為鄰居多年的壓迫而開始報復)。然而，avenge 和 revenge 雖然同義，但在標準英語用法中，我們可以寫成 He avenged his parents. (他為他的雙親報仇)，卻不能寫成 He revenged his parents.，或者說這樣的寫法相當罕見。
當名詞用的 revenge 與 vengeance 是同義詞，意為「報復；復仇」。它們皆與 take 和 on 構成 take revenge/vengeance on somebody 句型：He swore to take revenge/vengeance on the people who had killed his sister. (他發誓要報復殺死他姊妹的人)；The villagers seemed certain to take revenge/vengeance on the enemy. (村民看來肯定會對敵人報復)。然而，在 in revenge for something 這個片語中，revenge 不能用 vengeance 來替換，而在 with a vengeance 這個片語中，vengeance 亦不能用 revenge 來替換。in revenge for 意為「以報…之仇」，如 He killed the man in revenge for the murder of his sister. (他殺了那個人以報殺妹之仇)；但 with a vengeance 則沒有報復、報仇的意思，這片語意為「激烈地；猛烈地；極度地；極端地」(fiercely, excessively)，如 The disease came back with a vengeance. (這種疾病再度爆發，來勢凶猛)。
除上述外，英文中還有兩個常見的動詞 (片語) 也可以表達「報復；復仇」的意思：get even 和 retaliate。必須注意的是，get even 係接介系詞 with 再接報復的對象，而 retaliate (不及物動詞) 慣用的句型則是 retaliate against somebody for something。例如：I’d like to get even with the man who attacked my daughter. (我要向侵擾我女兒的那個男人報仇)；They have threatened to retaliate against the US for the bombing raid. (他們揚言報復美國的轟炸)。retaliate 的名詞 retaliation 亦很常見，其後若要接受詞 (報復對象) 也是先接 against；此外，它經常以 in retaliation for something (與 in revenge for 的結構相同) 的型態出現。例如：There is always the risk of possible retaliation against peacekeeping soldiers. (維和部隊總是面臨遭到報復的危險)；The car bombings were apparently in retaliation for the arrest of the terrorists. (汽車爆炸顯然是針對恐怖份子被捕所採取的報復行為)。retaliate 和 retaliation 是新聞英語中相當常見的字。
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