リベンジ
Confidentribenji
rematch; retry; revenge
katakana
Origin
- Source language
- English (en)
- Source form
- revenge
- Borrowing route
- 英語 revenge → 日本語のスポーツ・日常語へ
- Semantic shift
- 復讐 → 再挑戦・雪辱・やり直し
- First attested
- 1980
Story
14th-century Middle English already had revenge as a verb from Anglo-French revenger, and Merriam-Webster gives the noun around 1547. Older French forms include revenge and revenche, from a verb meaning to avenge. Japanese リベンジ comes from English revenge, not from French directly, and it keeps the v sound as バ/ベ-style katakana with リ at the start.
In late 20th-century Japanese sports and fight promotion, リベンジ became part of 勝負, 雪辱, and 再戦 vocabulary. K-1 began in 1993, and media around combat sports used リベンジマッチ for a bout against a previous winner. Digital Daijisen lists revenge and sport/rematch senses. From there, リベンジする became useful outside sport, including exams, auditions, restaurants, and events that failed once.
Current Japanese keeps the revenge meaning in serious compounds such as リベンジポルノ, but daily リベンジ often means another try. English revenge usually means retaliation or harm, though dictionaries also allow satisfaction through a rematch. Japanese can say テストでリベンジする for a second attempt on a test; English would use try again, retake, or redeem oneself.
Sources
No sources cited yet. This entry is still being reviewed.