Word.ws English Dictionary

getting even

getting even is the present participle and gerund of get even.

Meaning of get even

Verb

get even (third-person singular simple present gets even, present participle getting even, simple past got even, past participle (UK) got even or (US) gotten even)

  1. (idiomatic, informal) To inflict trouble or harm on another in return, typically the same as that inflicted on oneself.
    • But I warn you, Anita, we're through. I'm through with all of you! I'll get even. Just wait! You'll be sorry! You fools! You...YOU IDIOTS!1961, 101 Dalmatians

Questions about getting even

What is getting even the present participle and gerund of?
Getting even is the present participle and gerund of get even.

Words near getting even in the dictionary

  1. getting down to nuts and bolts
  2. getting down to the nitty-gritty
  3. getting dressed
  4. getting drunk
  5. getting enough
  6. getting even
  7. getting eyes on
  8. getting freaky
  9. getting fresh
  10. getting from a Cracker Jack box
  11. getting glad in the same britches one got mad in

Source and license

Adapted from Wiktionary: getting even (page history and authors); get even (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.

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Cite this entry: “getting even.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/getting_even. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.