If one person has a vendettaagainst another, the first person wants revenge for something the second person did to them in the past.
The vice president said the cartoonist has a personal vendetta against him. [+ against]
His murder was a vendetta killing.
Synonyms: feud, dispute, quarrel, enmity More Synonyms of vendetta
vendetta in British English
(vɛnˈdɛtə)
noun
1.
a private feud, originally between Corsican or Sicilian families, in which the relatives of a murdered person seek vengeance by killing the murderer or some member of his or her family
2.
any prolonged feud, quarrel, etc
Derived forms
vendettist (venˈdettist)
noun
Word origin
C19: from Italian, from Latin vindicta, from vindicāre to avenge; see vindicate
vendetta in American English
(vɛnˈdɛtə)
noun
1.
a feud in which the relatives of a murdered or wronged person seek vengeance on the murderer or wrongdoer or on members of that person's family
2.
any bitter quarrel or feud
Derived forms
vendettist (venˈdettist)
noun
Word origin
It < L vindicta, vengeance: see vindictive
Examples of 'vendetta' in a sentence
vendetta
He said the women had a personal vendetta against him.
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
He is a suspect in two other vendetta killings and officials fear he will resurface.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
But marine experts cautioned against conducting a vendetta.
Times, Sunday Times (2006)
The possibilities ranged from a personal grudge to a religious or political vendetta.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
Massive fraud or a political vendetta?
Times, Sunday Times (2011)
The criticism he got for being where he was from was more a personal vendetta than based on his skills as a manager.
Times, Sunday Times (2014)
Let's not turn this into a personal vendetta.
Christianity Today (2000)
Rebus comes under attack when the death of his cousin's son sends him on a personal vendetta.
The Sun (2006)
A personal vendetta has no role in politics.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
It was a personal vendetta.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
THE anarchists' plans sound like a personal vendetta.
The Sun (2011)
He said: 'I think the judge felt it was almost a personal vendetta.
Times, Sunday Times (2009)
In other languages
vendetta
British English: vendetta NOUN
If one person has a vendetta against another, the first person wants revenge for something the second person did to them in the past.
He felt the newspaper had a personal vendetta against him.
American English: vendetta
Brazilian Portuguese: vendeta
Chinese: 宿怨
European Spanish: vendetta
French: vendetta
German: Fehde
Italian: vendetta
Japanese: 恨み
Korean: 앙갚음
European Portuguese: vendeta
Latin American Spanish: vendetta
(noun)
Definition
a private feud between families in which members of one family kill members of the other family in revenge for earlier murders
This cartoonist has a personal vendetta against the President.
Synonyms
feud
a long and bitter feud between families
dispute
The dispute between them is settled.
quarrel
I had a terrible quarrel with my other brothers.
enmity
The two countries erupted into open enmity during the Gulf war.
bad blood
There is, it seems, some bad blood between them.
blood feud
Additional synonyms
in the sense of bad blood
There is, it seems, some bad blood between them.
Synonyms
hostility,
anger,
offence,
resentment,
bitterness,
animosity,
antagonism,
enmity,
bad feeling,
rancour,
ill feeling,
hard feelings,
ill will,
animus,
dudgeon (archaic),
disgruntlement,
chip on your shoulder
in the sense of dispute
Definition
an argument between two or more people
The dispute between them is settled.
Synonyms
argument,
row,
clash,
controversy,
disturbance,
contention,
feud,
quarrel,
brawl,
squabble,
wrangle,
difference of opinion,
tiff,
dissension,
turf war (informal),
shindig (informal),
shindy (informal),
bagarre
in the sense of enmity
Definition
a feeling of hostility or ill will
The two countries erupted into open enmity during the Gulf war.