復讐|ふくしゅうfukushuu[0]heiban (flat)

Common
Definitions
  1. noun, suru verb, intransitive verbrevenge
    これは、あの殺人的さつじんてきな公爵こうしゃくに復讐ふくしゅうしようという彼かれの願ねがいを強つよめただけだ。↗
    This only increased his desire to be revenged on the murderous duke.
Conjugation
Dictionary form復讐する(ふくしゅうする)
Polite (masu)復讐します(ふくしゅうします)
Negative (nai)復讐しない(ふくしゅうしない)
polite (masen)復讐しません(ふくしゅうしません)
classical zu / nu復讐せず・復讐せぬ(ふくしゅうせず・ふくしゅうせぬ)
Past (ta)復讐した(ふくしゅうした)
polite (mashita)復讐しました(ふくしゅうしました)
Past negative (nakatta)復讐しなかった(ふくしゅうしなかった)
polite (masen deshita)復讐しませんでした(ふくしゅうしませんでした)
Te form復讐して(ふくしゅうして)
Potential復讐できる(ふくしゅうできる)
Passive復讐される(ふくしゅうされる)
Causative復讐させる(ふくしゅうさせる)
Causative passive復讐させられる(ふくしゅうさせられる)
Conditional (ba)復讐すれば(ふくしゅうすれば)
tara復讐したら(ふくしゅうしたら)
Volitional復讐しよう(ふくしゅうしよう)
polite (mashou)復讐しましょう(ふくしゅうしましょう)
Imperative復讐しろ(ふくしゅうしろ)

Common forms generated by rule; see the senses for honorific or irregular usage.

Synonyms & antonyms
  • Synonym仇討ちあだうちNeutralAvenging a murdered lord or family member; carries an old samurai flavour and stresses a blood feud.
  • Synonym敵討ちかたきうちNeutralAvenging one's lord or family; a staple of period dramas with a tragic, heroic colouring.
  • Synonym仕返ししかえしNeutralTit for tat; common in speech and used for paybacks both petty and serious.
  • Synonym報復ほうふくNeutralRetaliation in kind, mostly between states or organizations, as in 「報復措置」.
  • SynonymリベンジCasualLoanword for getting a second go after a loss, mostly in sports and games, as in 「リベンジマッチ」. Colloquial; 「復讐」 is revenge driven by a grudge.
  • Relatedお返しおかえしNeutralMainly a return gift, but colloquially also payback, as in 「お返しだ!」, with a light tone.
  • Related雪辱せつじょくWrittenWiping out the shame of a previous defeat; leans written, common in sports reporting, and carries no blood feud.
  • Related報いるむくいるNeutralVerb mainly meaning to repay, as in 「恩に報いる」「努力に報いる」; it can also mean striking back, as in 「一矢を報いる」, without the deep hatred of 「復讐」.
  • Related返礼へんれいWrittenWritten word for a return gift, and by extension retaliation; mostly used for positive thanks.
  • Related復仇ふっきゅうWrittenA written word for revenge, rare even in prose; simply another way of saying 「復讐」.
  • Related返報へんぽうWrittenWritten word for repaying or retaliating; used for both kindness and wrongs, and lighter in tone than 「復讐」.
  • Related意趣返しいしゅがえしWrittenRevenge taken to vent a long-held grudge; it centres on personal scores, while 「復讐」 can denote avenging a deep, burning hatred.
  • Related意趣晴らしいしゅばらしWrittenRevenge to vent one's anger; rare even in writing, and focused on relieving the hatred in one's heart.
  • Related報うむくうWrittenWritten, literary verb for repaying or retaliating; in modern speech 「報いる」 is the usual choice.
  • Related仕返すしかえすNeutralColloquial verb for hitting back in kind, and also for redoing something; it stresses even, like-for-like payback.
  • Antonym恩返しおんがえしNeutralPaying back a favour, the opposite of avenging a wrong, as in 「鶴の恩返し」.
  • Antonym許しゆるしNeutralForgiveness; the opposite of 「復讐」, centring on letting the hatred go.

Use 「復讐」 for revenge born of deep hatred, as in 「復讐を誓う」. For getting even after a match loss, say 「リベンジ」 in speech and 「雪辱」 in writing; everyday payback is 「仕返し」, and retaliation between nations is 「報復」. For a samurai-style vendetta use 「仇討ち」. The opposites are 「恩返し」 and 「許し」.

Usage comparisons are AI-assisted and cross-checked by multiple models; for study reference only

Japanese definitions
  1. ある加害かがい行為こういに対たいして仕返しかえしをすること。
Kanji in this word
English equivalents

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