These top 150 revenge quotes will give you an idea of what comes with exacting revenge—both the good and the bad.
Revenge can mean different things in life. Its main idea is to get even with the people who have hurt you in the past. However, we must always be careful and think through our actions because getting revenge on someone can also have adverse effects on the one exacting it.
Get empowered and motivated to be the bigger person and rise your way to the top. We’re optimistic you’ll learn to deal with the problematic people in your life in this collection.
Let’s start.
And make sure to read these empathy quotes.
Best Revenge Quotes
1. “Success is the best revenge.” – Kanye West
2. “The best revenge is to live on and prove yourself.” – Eddie Vedder
3. “The best revenge is to show them that your life is getting better after they’re gone.” – Nishan Panwar
4. “The best revenge is to be unlike him who performed the injury.” – Marcus Aurelius
5. “Real revenge is making something of yourself.” – Gerard Way
6. “Revenge his foul and most unnatural murder.” – King Hamlet
7. “An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.” – Mahatma Gandhi
8. “Revenge can only be found on the road to self-destruction.” – Wayne Gerard Trotman
9. “The noblest revenge is to forgive.” – Thomas Fuller
Famous Revenge Quotes
10. “Revenge will never solve anything, karma will.” – Anonymous
11. “Revenge is always the weak pleasure of a little and narrow mind.” – Juvenal
12. “The man who seeks revenge digs two graves.” – Ken Kesey
13. “Revenge proves its own executioner.” – John Ford
14. “Survival was my only hope, success my only revenge.” – Patricia Cornwell
15. “A merciful heart beats contently stronger than many vengeful ones.” – Munia Khan
16. “Revenge is a confession of pain.” – Latin Proverb
17. “Revenge is not a noble sentiment, but it is a human one.” – Rudy Giuliani
18. “The greatest revenge is to do what others say you cannot do.” – Anonymous
19. “When you begin a journey of revenge, start by digging two graves: one for your enemy, and one for yourself.” – Jodi Picoult
Inspiring Revenge Quotes
20. “He that has revenge in his power, and does not use it, is the greater man.” – Wellins Calcott
21. “Nothing inspires forgiveness quite like revenge.” – Scott Adams
22. “Revenge is weak when provocation is the reason to prepare us strong for any battle.” – Alan Maiccon
23. “There is no need for revenge. Living happily ever after is a sign that you have not let the past beat you.” – Leon Brown
24. “Grudges are for those who insist that they are owed something; forgiveness, however, is for those who are substantial enough to move on.” – Criss Jami
25. “Let go of offence. Let go of fear. Let go of revenge. Don’t live angry, let go now.” – Joel Osteen
26. “We learn our lessons; we get hurt; we want revenge. Then we realize that actually, happiness and forgiving people is the best revenge.” – Madonna
27. “Do not seek power for revenge. Seek power in order to avoid situations that would make you want revenge.” – Salla Simukka
28. “Life can be savored only if you look to the future and leave vengeance to the gods.” – David Gemmell
29. “Living well eliminates the need for revenge.” – Kanye West
Wise Revenge Quotes to Make You Think Before Acting
30. “To seek greatness is the only righteous vengeance.” – Criss Jami
31. “Always stay gracious, the best revenge is your paper.” – Beyonce
32. “Don’t get mad, get even.” – Robert Kennedy
33. “Revenge is never the best driver for a battle, but a common one.” – Janet Morris
34. “The greatest form of retaliation is not loving your enemy but ignoring them.” – Bongha Lee
35. “Weak people revenge. Strong people forgive. Intelligent people ignore.” – Albert Einstein
36. “The soul of mercy is better than a soul that is revengeful.” – Angelina Elise
37. “It is commonly said that revenge is sweet, but to a calm and considerate mind, patience, and forgiveness are sweeter.” – Isaac Burrow
Quotes to Give You an Idea of What Revenge Is
38. “Revenge is not sweet; it is gloomy and a waste of time.” – Anna Bayes
39. “Revenge is the act of passion, vengeance is an act of justice.” – Samuel Johnson
40. “Revenge may be wicked, but it’s natural.” – William Makepeace Thackeray
41. “Revenge is the easiest of emotions to understand and to manipulate.” – David Anthony Durham
42. “Revenge is barren of itself: it is the dreadful food it feeds on; its delight is murder, and its end is despair.” – Friedrich Schiller
43. “Revenge is the infliction of pain, in consequence of the neglect or violation of duty.” – Elhanan Winchester
44. “Revenge is simply justice with teeth.” – Simon R. Green
45. “For the Christian, revenge is a dish best not served at all.” – Todd Stocker
46. “Revenge is like a ghost. It takes over every man it touches. Its thirst cannot be quenched until the last man standing has fallen.” – Vladimir Makarov
47. “Revenge is like politics, one thing always leads to another until bad has become worse, and worse has become worst.” – Jonas Jonasson
Quotes That Show How Sweet Revenge Can Be
48. “I’m not one to take revenge. If someone does something wrong to me I leave it in the hands of the universe to take care of that person.” – Lana Parrilla
49. “Revenge, the sweetest morsel to the mouth that ever was cooked in hell.” – Walter Scott
50. “Sometimes the best revenge is to smile and move on.” – Anonymous
51. “Revenge is always sweet, it’s the aftertaste that’s bitter.” – Joshua Caleb
52. “I don’t seek revenge because the karma bus always arrives on time.” – Fuad Alakbarov
53. “There is no revenge so complete as forgiveness.” – Josh Billings
54. “Don’t waste time on revenge. The people who hurt you will eventually face their own karma.” – Anonymous
55. “Revenge has its own special taste.” – Job
56. “Revenge is sweeter far than flowing honey.” – Homer
57. “The soul of mercy is better than a soul that is revengeful.” – Angelina Elise
58. “When you have the power to screw people over and you don’t, well, that’s when you get to show who you really are.” – Joseph Finder
59. “Revenge is a dish best eaten cold and there is no sweeter dish than outliving an enemy.” – Don Darkes
60. “When they say revenge is a dish best served up cold they were wrong. Revenge for me has instead turned out to be a dish served hot, steamy, and very satisfying!” – Vanessa E. Silver
Quotes That Highlight How Revenge Emerges
61. “Neglect kills injuries, revenge increases them.” – Ben Franklin
62. “Loyalty feeds my passion for revenge.” – Robert Black
63. “The paradox of vengefulness is that it makes men dependent upon those who have harmed them, believing that their release from pain will come only when their tormentors suffer.” – Laura Hillenbrand
64. “Darkness, when everything that you know and love is taken from you so harshly, all you can think about is anger, hatred, and even revenge, and no one can save you.” – Orochimaru
65. “For revenge is always the delight of a mean spirit, of a weak and petty mind!” – Gin Sander
Quotes on the Sad Truth Behind Why a Person Exacts Revenge
66. “The most deceptive thing about revenge is in thinking that we’re not hurt by it, when in fact we’re the one’s most hurt by it.” – Craig D. Lounsbrough
67. “Revenge itself may indeed be the best revenge, but slaying one’s enemy does not give back what they stole.” – Emilie Autumn
68. “Vengeance is a monster of appetite, forever bloodthirsty and never filled.” – Richelle E. Goodrich
69. “Revenge is a sorrow for the person who has to take it on. And the person who is rash enough to think it’s going to help a situation is always wrong.” – Louise Erdrich
70. “Revenge is an orphan in bad company she had learnt. Until it accepts the truth, it may never find grace.” – Sanchit Gupta
71. “So revenge is obviously a deeply messed up expression of vindictiveness. It is hard to even call it evil. It is just plain insanity. A result of deeply messed up thinking.” – Venkatesh G. Rao
72. “Revenge is an infection of the spirit.” – Jonathan Maberry
73. “Vengeance is in my heart, death in my hand, blood, and revenge are hammering in my head.” – William Shakespeare
74. “My act of revenge is just a part of the struggle.” – Aniruddha Das
Thought-Provoking Revenge Quotes
75. “Every blade has two edges; he who wounds with one, wounds himself with the other.” – Victor Hugo
76. “A man who contemplates revenge keeps his wounds green.” – Francis Bacon
77. “Revenge is like a rolling stone, which, when a man hath forced up a hill, will return upon him with a greater violence, and break those bones whose sinews gave it motion.” – Jeremy Taylor
78. “Evil is always devising more corrosive misery through man’s restless need to exact revenge out of his hate.” – Ralph Steadman
79. “It is by our actions that we are destroyed or saved. The choice is ours.” – Sherrilyn Kenyon
80. “Like revenge is sweet on corrupted meat, the compulsion to feed the flames of greed.” – R.W. Moerings
Quotes About the Realities and Consequences of Revenge
81. “Revenge is not worthy of you. If you concentrate on revenge, you will keep those wounds fresh that would otherwise have healed.” – Adeline Yen Mah
82. “Revenge is backward-looking, whereas rationality is forward-looking. So the two fail to engage.” – Alan Hamlin
83. “Spending plenty of time on something can be the most sophisticated form of revenge.” – Haruki Murakami
84. “If you seek revenge, it means you’re scared or you feel guilty for what happened in some way. It’s okay to be angry with someone, but don’t think about revenge. It’s like a disease that eats you up.” – David Miller
85. “Two wrongs don’t make a right, but neither does one. Revenge may seem petty by day, but on some nights she becomes justice.” – Ashly Lorenzana
86. “Karma comes after everyone eventually. You can’t get away with screwing people over your whole life, I don’t care who you are. What goes around comes around. That’s how it works. Sooner or later the universe will serve you the revenge that you deserve.” – Jessica Brody
87. “It is impossible to suffer without making someone pay for it; every complaint already contains revenge.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
88. “If you spend your time hoping someone will suffer the consequences for what they did to your heart, then you’re allowing them to hurt you a second time in your mind.” – Shannon L. Alder
Short but Insightful Revenge Quotes
89. “He who plots to hurt others often hurts himself.” – Aesop
90. “Living well is the best revenge.” – George Herbert
91. “In a nutshell, revenge cannot reverse the loss.” – Marina Cantacuzino
92. “Revenge is sweet but not nourishing.” – Mason Cooley
93. “Revenge is never the answer.” – Kasie West
94. “Writing poems is the best revenge.” – Christina Strigas
95. “Anger is the color of revenge.” – Anonymous
96. “Revenge is not a positive state of mind or energy to indulge yourself in.” – Michael K. Williams
97. “Treat all fairly or they will seek revenge.” – Christopher Paolini
98. “Life being what it is, one dreams of revenge.” – Paul Gauguin
99. “Revenge has no eyes and ears.” – Anonymous
Quotes to Give You an Idea of How Revenge Gives a Sense of Fulfillment
100. “Revenge is not always sweet, once it is consummated we feel inferior to our victim.” – Emile M. Cioran
101. “Revenge is a kind of wild justice, which the more man’s nature runs to, the more ought law to weed it out.” – Francis Bacon
102. “There is no such thing as justice, all the best that we can hope for is revenge.” – Emilie Autumn
103. “We should forgive our enemies, but not before they are hanged.” – Heinrich Heine
104. “To exact revenge for yourself or your friends is not only a right, it’s an absolute duty.” – Stieg Larsson
105. “To take revenge halfheartedly is to court disaster: either condemn or crown your hatred.” – Pierre Corneille
106. “Revenge has no more quenching effect on emotions than saltwater has on thirst.” – Walter Weckler
Quotes About the Effects Revenge Has on a Person
107. “However miserable you make us, we shall still have the revenge of thinking that your cruelty arises from your greater misery.” – Emily Brontë
108. “There is nothing wrong with revenge. The wrong has already been done, or there would be no need to even the score.” – Ashly Lorenzana
109. “An eye for an eye is never enough. Never, never, never.” – Adrian Phoenix
110. “Revenge has always been looked upon as a sin and sometimes you feel like you had to sin to win.” – Isaac Hayes
Quotes on the Downside of Taking Revenge
111. “When you repay evil with evil, you become evil.” – Wayne Gerard Trotman
112. “Revenge is the raging fire that consumes the arsonist.” – Max Lucado
113. “No matter the reason, revenge causes a cycle that continues and never ends. It poisons the lives of everyone around you, close to you. Seeking revenge becomes all that you desire but comes at a hefty price.” – Aaron Gromis
114. “Revenge is starting a fire you can’t control.” – Marty Rubin
115. “The problem with revenge is that it never evens the score. It ties both the injured and the injurer to an escalator of pain. Both are stuck on the escalator as long as parity is demanded, and the escalator never stops.” – Lewis B. Smedes
116. “The saddest part about revenge, even after stripping your enemy to his bones. In the end, you feel nothing and then you realize that you weren’t any different from him after all.” – Anonymous
117. “Revenge is self-defeating. It will eat you away until there is nothing left.” – Chris Bradford
118. “Ruining someone else’s life for attention or revenge should also come with a price.” – Tomi Lahren
119. “Revenge is a flash of insanity.” – Anonymous
120. “Revenge always begins with craziness, and ends in shame.” – Anonymous
Funny Quotes About Getting Revenge on Someone
121. “Revenge must be the reason why forgiveness was a thing I never knew.” – Haggard
122. “Revenge is often like biting a dog because the dog bit you.” – Austin O’Malley
123. “Revenge is what I want. Nothing but pure unadulterated revenge. But my mother brought me up to be a lady.” – J. P. Donleavy
124. “I want revenge, but I don’t want to screw up my karma.” – Susane Colasanti
125. “When someone is mean to me, I just make them a victim in my next book.” – Mary Higgins Clark
126. “Revenge is sweet and not fattening.” – Alfred Hitchcock
127. “They say there is no gain in revenge but only fun. At least I’ll gain fun.” – Anonymous
128. “Funny thing about revenge. It could make a killer out of a nun.” – Kevis Hendrickson
Deep Revenge Quotes and Verses From the Bible
129. “Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.” – Leviticus 19:18
130. “Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘it is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord. On the contrary, if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’ Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” – Romans 12:17-21
131. “Hatred stirs up conflict, but love covers over all wrongs.” – Proverbs 10:12
132. “For we know him who said, ‘It is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ and again, ‘the Lord will judge his people.’” – Hebrews 10:30
133. “Do not say, ‘I’ll pay you back for this wrong!’ Wait for the Lord, and he will avenge you.” – Proverbs 20:22
134. “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘it is mine to avenge; I will repay,’ says the Lord.” – Romans 12:19
135. “But to you who are listening, I say, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” – Luke 6:27-28
136. “The Lord is a God who avenges. O, God who avenges, shine forth. Rise up, judge of the earth; payback to the proud what they deserve.” – Psalm 94:1-2
137. “Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.” – 1 Thessalonians 5:15
138. “Get rid of all bitterness, rage, and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” – Ephesians 4:31-32
139. “It is mine to avenge; I will repay. In due time their foot will slip; their day of disaster is near and their doom rushes upon them.” – Deuteronomy 32:35
140. “Do not say, ‘I’ll do to them as they have done to me; I’ll pay them back for what they did.’” – Proverbs 24:29
Quotes From Hamlet That Zoom in on Revenge
141. “No place, indeed, should murder sanctuarize; revenge should have no bounds.” – King Claudius
142. “I must be cruel only to be kind; thus bad begins and worse remains behind.” – Hamlet
143. “Haste me to know’t, that I, with wings as swift. As meditation or the thoughts of love may sweep to my revenge.” – Hamlet
144. “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” – Hamlet
145. “Now might I do it pat, now he is praying, and now I’ll do’t. And so he goes to heaven, and so I am revenged. That would be scanned: a villain kills my father, and for that, I, his sole son, do this same villain send to heaven.” – Hamlet
146. “I dare damnation. To this point I stand, that both the worlds I give to negligence. Let come what comes; only I’ll be revenged most thoroughly for my father.” – Laertes
147. “For murder, though it have no tongue, will speak with most miraculous organ.” – Hamlet
148. “Leave her to heaven. And to those thorns that in her bosom lodge, to prick and sting her.” – The Ghost
149. “Why, as a woodcock to mine own springe, Osric. I am justly kill’d with mine own treachery.” – Laertes
150. “Murder most foul, as in the best it is; but this most foul, strange, and unnatural.” – Hamlet
How Do You Cope With the Negativity in Your Life?
Insults, whether done through words or actions, are one of the most painful things you can do to a person. They have a massive influence on a person’s life that can result in unfortunate events. But, despite these negativities, dare to stand up and move forward.
Always remember that the best way to take revenge on someone is to be successful. Let their insult be an inspiration for you to continue to move up.
We hope this collection was able to bring you light and inspiration to choose positivity despite the negativity around. Don’t let peoples’ opinions get to you. Remember to live your life the way it’s supposed to be and the way you want it to be.
Did any of these quotes teach you how to deal with your problems? Which quote did you relate to the most? Let us know in the comments below.
