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Glite Dictionary
to get even

to get even

46 5.4
To do something to hurt someone because they hurt you
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : vengarse de
  • Marcie found out about the pot, and that's how she got even for all the times Eddie was mean to her.
  • get even with someone
  • want to get even
  • try to get even

Examples

Synonyms

to fight back
vsto get even
188 3.3

Resist an attack or criticism by responding

often aims to settle a prior wrong rather than simply defend oneself
to retaliate
vsto get even
105 7.3

To hurt someone because they hurt you

is personal action aimed specifically at settling a past wrong
to avenge
vsto get even
95 4.9

Punish someone who hurt you or someone you care about

is more about settling a personal score than formal retribution
to get back at
vsto get even
  • Informal
77 5.6

To do something to hurt someone because they hurt you

aims to balance a past injury rather than only punish immediately
to stick it to
vsto get even
  • Informal
40 8.6

Punish or hurt someone to get revenge

is about settling scores rather than merely showing defiance
to settle
vsto get even
  • Offensive
36 8.6

To take revenge on someone who harmed you

is specifically about restoring balance between parties rather than justice
to strike back
vsto get even
34 4.9

To fight back after someone attacks or hurts you

is focused on equalizing a past wrong, not only military response
to fix
vsto get even
  • Informal
29 8.2

To get revenge on someone for something they did

is aimed at balancing a past wrong more than formal punishment
to get back
vsto get even
  • Informal
24 4.2

Do something to hurt someone because they hurt you

centers on settling a score or making things equal afterward
to pay back
vsto get even
  • Informal
9 3.2

Do something to someone to hurt them for what they did

focuses on making things equal by settling a previous wrong
to give as good as someone gets
vsto get even
  • Informal
3 7.2

Respond to an attack or criticism with equal force

seeks to settle a score by making outcomes equal rather than matching force
to settle a score
vsto get even
  • Offensive
2 6.2

To get revenge for something someone did to you

emphasizes restoring balance to past wrongs rather than immediate retaliation
to pay off
vsto get even
  • Informal
1 5.1

Take revenge on someone for a wrong

is driven by the goal of settling a past grievance
to pay (someone) back in (their) own coin
vsto get even
  • Informal
8.3

Treat someone in the same bad way they treated you

aims to equalize treatment by settling a past hurt
to pay off old scores
vsto get even
  • Informal
8.2

To get revenge or settle a past wrong

focuses on making things equal for a previous injury

Antonyms

to forgive
∞ 1.4

To stop feeling angry at someone or yourself for a mistake

to pardon
211 3.0

To forgive someone for a small mistake or rude act

How Severe

to destroy
  • Informal
557 1.7
to avenge
95 4.9
to get even
  • Informal
46 5.4
to retaliate
105 7.3

Surface Forms

get even infinitive
got even past
getting even present participle
gets even third person singular
gotten even past participle

Morphology

get + even

The core idea of 'making things even' is compositional from 'get' (obtain/achieve) + 'even' (equal), so learners can infer a balancing action; many will deduce that balancing can mean retaliating to ‘even the score’. However, the specific sense of revenge/retaliation is a metaphorical extension and idiomatically conventionalized (especially in the pattern 'get even with someone'), so it is not fully predictable without prior exposure.

Etymology

Get even comes from the idea of making things even again: if you get an account 'equal' by paying what you owe, the balance is even. That's why 'get even' now means 'to take revenge' or to settle the score.