Retaliation: English Vocabulary List

to make someone feel extreme discomfort by helping them, being really generous, or by treating them too kindly, particularly someone who did one wrong

"She killed him with kindness."

"He tried to kill her with kindness by showering her with gifts after their argument."

to be extremely angry with a person and be trying to find them and possibly hurt them

"The landlord is after my blood."

"The angry customer was after my blood after I accidentally spilled coffee on his expensive suit."

to use methods or tactics similar to those of one's opponent in a fight or argument

"Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire."

"Sometimes you have to fight fire with fire and use the same tactics as your opponent."

to retaliate by treating others in the same negative manner they treated one

"I will pay you back in your own coin."

"She played a trick on me so I will pay her back in her own coin by doing the same to her."

a concept in which if someone harms one, one should harm them back in the same way

"He believes in an eye for an eye."

"The old law of an eye for an eye often leads to endless cycles of revenge and violence."

a hidden personal motive or agenda that someone holds

"He has an ax."

"I suspect she has an ax to grind with the new manager because of past disagreements."

to angrily ask for a person or group to be punished or hurt

"The crowd bayed for blood loudly."

"After the scandal was revealed, the angry public began to bay for blood, demanding that the corrupt officials be punished severely."

to outperform someone using the same methods and tactics that they use

"She beat him at his own game."

"The rookie lawyer beat the experienced prosecutor at his own game by using his own tactics against him."

to seek to harm or punish someone who has wronged or harmed one

"He wants his own back."

"After months of planning, she finally got her own back on the colleague who betrayed her."

to have enough strength and confidence to match others' ferocity and intensity during an argument or a fight

"He can give as good as he gets."

"She can give as good as she gets and is never afraid to stand up for herself in an argument."

trying to punish, harm, or kill someone

"The competitor is out for blood."

"After being publicly humiliated he was out for blood and wanted revenge on his rival."

a harsh or unpleasant way of treating someone that is almost identical to the manner in which they treated one

"He got a taste of his own medicine."

"The bully got a taste of his own medicine when someone bigger started pushing him around at school."

to hurt or punish someone in a way that ensures one they will never repeat their past behavior

"I will teach him a lesson."

"The strict teacher decided to teach the disruptive student a lesson by assigning him extra homework for the entire semester."

used to show one's confidence in dealing with another person's behavior and using it to their disadvantage

"You tried to trick me? Two can play."

"If you think you can manipulate me, remember that two can play this game effectively."

the action of taking revenge on someone for something unpleasant they did to one in order to get even or feel better

"It was tit for tat."

"His retaliatory actions were seen as tit for tat after the initial insult he received."

to destroy someone's happiness or self-assurance through a remark, action, or event

"His comment wiped the smile off her face."

"The boxer wiped the smile off his opponent's face with a powerful punch to the jaw in the first round."

used when a person attempts to embarrass or humiliate someone but gets embarrassed or humiliated instead

"The joke is on you."

"He tried to play a prank on his friend, but the joke was on him when he got caught."

to decide to stop a particular activity or relationship

"After ten years, they called it quits."

"After working for twelve hours straight he decided to call it quits and go home to sleep."

to make someone feel less important or influential by showing that their claims are not true

"She put him in his place."

"When he started bragging about his achievements, his boss quickly put him in his place by reminding him of all his recent mistakes."

to make things fair by addressing a previous unfairness or imbalance

"He wanted to even the score."

"After the unfair dismissal, she felt compelled to even the score by exposing the truth."