noun
vendetta
vehn-DEH-tuh
noun
1
A long-running, bitter feud driven by a desire for revenge, often passed down between families or groups.
"The two families had been locked in a vendetta for three generations."
"What started as a business dispute turned into a personal vendetta."
How to Use Vendetta
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA grudge or feud pursued out of a determination to get revenge, often lasting far longer than the original offence would seem to justify.
Common pairings
a personal vendetta
pursue a vendetta
have a vendetta against someone
Word Forms
vendettas plural, vendette plural
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Etymology
Borrowed from Italian vendetta ("revenge"), from Latin vindicta — the same root as "vindicate" and "avenge".