Meanings
proverb
- idiomaticcompensation for injury caused by a person, in the form of inflicting of an identical injury on that person.
Synonyms: tit for tat
Synonyms & antonyms
proverbcompensation for injury caused by a person, in the form of inflicting of an identical injury on that person.
Similar
Opposite
Origin
Reference to Exodus 21:23-25: "And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life, Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe". (King James Version)
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic الْعَيْن بِالْعَيْن وَالسِّنّ بِالسِّنّ
- الْعَيْن بِالْعَيْن وَالسِّنّ بِالسِّنّcompensation for an injury
Basque begia begi truk
- begia begi trukcompensation for an injury
Bulgarian о́ко за о́ко, зъб за зъб
- о́ко за о́ко, зъб за зъб (óko za óko, zăb za zăb)compensation for an injury
Catalan ull per ull, dent per dent
- ull per ull, dent per dentcompensation for an injury
Chinese Mandarin 眼還眼，以牙還牙 /眼还眼, 以牙还牙
- 眼還眼，以牙還牙 /眼还眼compensation for an injury
- 以牙还牙 (yǎn huán yǎn, yǐ yá huán yá)compensation for an injury
- 針鋒相對 /针锋相对 (zhēnfēngxiāngduì)compensation for an injury
- 以眼還眼，以牙還牙 /以眼还眼compensation for an injury
- 以牙还牙 (yǐ yǎn huán yǎn, yǐ yá huán yá)compensation for an injury
Czech oko za oko, zub za zub
- oko za oko, zub za zubcompensation for an injury
Danish øje for øje, tand for tand
- øje for øje, tand for tandcompensation for an injury
Dutch oog om oog, tand om tand
- oog om oog, tand om tandcompensation for an injury
Esperanto okulon pro okulo, denton pro dento
- okulon pro okulo, denton pro dentocompensation for an injury
Estonian silm silma, hammas hamba vastu
- silm silma, hammas hamba vastucompensation for an injury
Finnish silmä silmästä, hammas hampaasta, silmä silmästä
- silmä silmästä, hammas hampaastacompensation for an injury
- silmä silmästäcompensation for an injury
French œil pour œil, dent pour dent
- œil pour œil, dent pour dentcompensation for an injury
German Auge um Auge, Zahn um Zahn
- Auge um Auge, Zahn um Zahncompensation for an injury
Greek οφθαλμόν αντί οφθαλμού και οδόντα αντί οδόντος
- οφθαλμόν αντί οφθαλμού και οδόντα αντί οδόντος (ofthalmón antí ofthalmoú kai odónta antí odóntos)compensation for an injury
Hebrew עין תחת עין, שן תחת שן
- עין תחת עין, שן תחת שן (áyin tákhat áyin, shén tákhat shén)compensation for an injury
Hungarian szemet szemért, fogat fogért
- szemet szemért, fogat fogértcompensation for an injury
Icelandic auga fyrir auga, tönn fyrir tönn
- auga fyrir auga, tönn fyrir tönncompensation for an injury
Irish súil ar shúil, fiacail ar fhiacail
- súil ar shúil, fiacail ar fhiacailcompensation for an injury
Italian occhio per occhio, dente per dente
- occhio per occhio, dente per dentecompensation for an injury
Japanese 目には目を、歯には歯を, 目には目を
- 目には目を、歯には歯をcompensation for an injury
- 目には目を (me ni wa me o)compensation for an injury
- 同害報復 (dōgai hōfuku)compensation for an injury
Korean 눈에는 눈 이에는 이
- 눈에는 눈 이에는 이 (nuneneun nun ieneun i)compensation for an injury
Latin oculum pro oculo dentem pro dente
- oculum pro oculo dentem pro dentecompensation for an injury
Latvian acs pret aci, zobs pret zobu
- acs pret aci, zobs pret zobucompensation for an injury
Lithuanian akis už akį, dantis už dantį
- akis už akį, dantis už dantįcompensation for an injury
Norwegian Bokmål øye for øye, tann for tann
- øye for øye, tann for tanncompensation for an injury
Polish oko za oko, ząb za ząb
- oko za oko, ząb za ząbcompensation for an injury
Portuguese olho por olho, dente por dente
- olho por olho, dente por dentecompensation for an injury
Romanian ochi pentru ochi, dinte pentru dinte
- ochi pentru ochi, dinte pentru dintecompensation for an injury
Russian о́ко за о́ко, зуб за зуб
- о́ко за о́ко, зуб за зуб (óko za óko, zub za zub)compensation for an injury
Slovak oko za oko, zub za zub
- oko za oko, zub za zubcompensation for an injury
Spanish ojo por ojo, diente por diente
- ojo por ojo, diente por dientecompensation for an injury
Swedish öga för öga, tand för tand
- öga för öga, tand för tandcompensation for an injury
Thai ตาต่อตา ฟันต่อฟัน
- ตาต่อตา ฟันต่อฟัน (dtaa-dtɔ̀ɔ-dtaa fan-dtɔ̀ɔ-fan)compensation for an injury
Turkish göze göz, dişe diş
- göze göz, dişe dişcompensation for an injury
Ukrainian о́ко за о́ко, зуб за зуб
- о́ко за о́ко, зуб за зуб (óko za óko, zub za zub)compensation for an injury
Vietnamese ân đền oán trả, ăn miếng trả miếng
- ân đền oán trảcompensation for an injury
- ăn miếng trả miếngcompensation for an injury
- có qua có lạicompensation for an injury
Welsh llygad am lygad a dant am ddant
- llygad am lygad a dant am ddantcompensation for an injury
Cite this entry
APA
an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/an%20eye%20for%20an%20eye%2C%20a%20tooth%20for%20a%20tooth
MLA
“an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/an%20eye%20for%20an%20eye%2C%20a%20tooth%20for%20a%20tooth. Accessed November 5, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/an%20eye%20for%20an%20eye%2C%20a%20tooth%20for%20a%20tooth.
Source: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.