Meanings
- idiomaticCompensation for injury caused by a person, in the form of inflicting an identical injury on that person.
Synonyms: a Roland for an Oliver, tit for tat
Synonyms & antonyms
nounCompensation for injury caused by a person, in the form of inflicting an identical injury on that person.
Origin
- Hebrewעין תחת עין
- Englisheye for an eye
Calque of Hebrew עין תחת עין (ayin tahat ayin), in 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; spelling modernized).
More words from Hebrew
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ὀφθαλμὸν ἀντὶ ὀφθαλμοῦ ὀδόντα ἀντὶ ὀδόντος
- ὀφθαλμὸν ἀντὶ ὀφθαλμοῦ ὀδόντα ἀντὶ ὀδόντος (ophthalmòn antì ophthalmoû odónta antì odóntos)compensation for an injury
Arabic الْعَيْنُ بِالْعَيْن
- الْعَيْنُ بِالْعَيْن (al-ʕaynu bi-l-ʕayn)compensation for an injury
Bulgarian о́ко за о́ко, зъб за зъб, о́ко за о́ко
- о́ко за о́ко, зъб за зъб (óko za óko, zăb za zăb)compensation for an injury
- о́ко за о́ко (óko za óko)compensation for an injury
Catalan ull per ull, dent per dent
- ull per ull, dent per dentcompensation for an injury
Chinese Mandarin 以眼還眼 /以眼还眼, 以牙還牙 /以牙还牙
- 以眼還眼 /以眼还眼 (yǐ yǎn huán yǎn)compensation for an injury
- 以牙還牙 /以牙还牙 (yǐ yá huán yá)compensation for an injury
Czech oko za oko, zub za zub, oko za oko
- oko za oko, zub za zubcompensation for an injury
- oko za okocompensation for an injury
Danish øje for øje
- øje for øjecompensation 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 vastu
- silm silma vastucompensation for an injury
Finnish silmä silmästä
- silmä silmästäcompensation for an injury
French œil pour œil
- œil pour œilcompensation for an injury
German Auge um Auge
- Auge um Augecompensation for an injury
Hebrew עַיִן תַּחַת עַיִן
- עַיִן תַּחַת עַיִן ('áyin táḥat 'áyin)compensation for an injury
Hindi ख़ून का बदला ख़ून
- ख़ून का बदला ख़ून (xūn kā badlā xūn)compensation for an injury
Hungarian szemet szemért
- szemet szemértcompensation for an injury
Italian occhio per occhio
- occhio per occhiocompensation for an injury
Japanese 目には目を
- 目には目を (me ni wa me o)compensation for an injury
Korean 눈에는 눈
- 눈에는 눈 (nuneneun nun)compensation 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
- oko za oko, ząb za ząbcompensation for an injury
- oko za okocompensation for an injury
Portuguese olho por olho
- olho por olhocompensation for an injury
Russian о́ко за о́ко, зуб за зуб, о́ко за о́ко
- о́ко за о́ко, зуб за зуб (óko za óko, zub za zub)compensation for an injury
- о́ко за о́ко (óko za óko)compensation for an injury
- глаз за глаз (glaz za glaz)compensation for an injury
Scottish Gaelic ìghne airson ìghne, sùil airson sùla is fiacaill airson fiacla
- ìghne airson ìghnecompensation for an injury
- sùil airson sùla is fiacaill airson fiaclacompensation for an injury
Slovak oko za oko, zub za zub, oko za oko
- oko za oko, zub za zubcompensation for an injury
- oko za okocompensation for an injury
Spanish ojo por ojo
- ojo por ojocompensation for an injury
Swahili jicho kwa jicho
- jicho kwa jichocompensation for an injury
Swedish öga för öga
- öga för ögacompensation for an injury
Tagalog mata sa mata
- mata sa matacompensation for an injury
Tamil பழிக்குப்பழி
- பழிக்குப்பழி (paḻikkuppaḻi)compensation for an injury
Thai ตาต่อตา
- ตาต่อตา (dtaa-dtɔ̀ɔ-dtaa)compensation for an injury
Turkish göze göz
- göze gözcompensation for an injury
Ukrainian о́ко за о́ко, зуб за зуб, о́ко за о́ко
- о́ко за о́ко, зуб за зуб (óko za óko, zub za zub)compensation for an injury
- о́ко за о́ко (óko za óko)compensation for an injury
Urdu خون کا بدلہ خون
- خون کا بدلہ خون (xūn kā badlā xūn)compensation for an injury
Vietnamese mắt đền mắt, răng đền răng, mắt đền mắt
- mắt đền mắt, răng đền răngcompensation for an injury
- mắt đền mắtcompensation for an injury
Cite this entry
eye for an eye. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eye%20for%20an%20eye
“eye for an eye.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eye%20for%20an%20eye. Accessed November 5, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “eye for an eye,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/eye%20for%20an%20eye.
Source: eye for an eye on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.