Revenge means punishing someone because they hurt you, trying to hurt them back in the same way or worse. When someone seeks revenge, they want to make the other person suffer as payback for what was done to them.

If someone spreads mean rumors about you and you spread worse rumors about them in return, that's revenge. If your brother breaks your model airplane and you deliberately break his favorite video game, you're taking revenge. The key is that you're acting out of anger and a desire to get even, not trying to solve the problem or make things right.

Justice and revenge are not the same thing. When a judge sentences a criminal, that's justice: a fair consequence decided by society's rules. Revenge is personal, driven by anger, and can be unfair or excessive. Societies try to maintain the rule of law so people know the criminal justice system will administer appropriate justice, and individuals don't feel the need to seek personal revenge.