nemesis

[ nem-uh-sis ]
See synonyms for nemesis on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural nem·e·ses [nem-uh-seez]. /ˈnɛm əˌsiz/.
  1. something that a person cannot conquer, achieve, etc.: The performance test proved to be my nemesis.

  2. an opponent or rival whom a person cannot best or overcome.

  1. (initial capital letter)Classical Mythology. the goddess of divine retribution.

  2. an agent or act of retribution or punishment.

Origin of nemesis

1
<Latin <Greek némesis literally, a dealing out, verbid of némein to dispense (justice); see -sis

Other words for nemesis

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Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use nemesis in a sentence

  • We have swift reward and punishment—no hateful things called nemesis.

    Mrs. Falchion, Complete | Gilbert Parker
  • Then, as though grown weary of the idyllic romance she was composing, Fortune donned the tragic robes of nemesis.

    The Nabob | Alphonse Daudet
  • What was the tragic destiny that hung over them—the nemesis that gripped them, and forced them to take such a chance?

    Love's Pilgrimage | Upton Sinclair
  • When off the island of Moora the nemesis came suddenly upon a fleet of eleven pirate boats, pursuing a trading prahu.

  • The nemesis chased the pirates to the shore, who drew up in line along the beach.

British Dictionary definitions for Nemesis

Nemesis

/ (ˈnɛmɪsɪs) /


nounplural -ses (-ˌsiːz)
  1. Greek myth the goddess of retribution and vengeance

  2. (sometimes not capital) any agency of retribution and vengeance

Origin of Nemesis

1
C16: via Latin from Greek: righteous wrath, from némein to distribute what is due

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for Nemesis

Nemesis

[ (nem-uh-sis) ]


In classical mythology, the Greek goddess of vengeance.

Notes for Nemesis

By extension, a “nemesis” is an avenger. One's nemesis is that which will bring on one's destruction or downfall.

The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.