nemesis
something that a person cannot conquer, achieve, etc.: The performance test proved to be my nemesis.
an opponent or rival whom a person cannot best or overcome.
(initial capital letter)Classical Mythology. the goddess of divine retribution.
an agent or act of retribution or punishment.
Origin of nemesis
1Other words for nemesis
Words Nearby nemesis
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use nemesis in a sentence
After years of doing well, my nemesis had returned, hovering near me, looking for a way in.
Coronavirus is testing those of us with anxiety. We need to have mental health help available when the pandemic ends. | Sarah Vander Schaaff | January 30, 2021 | Washington PostIn those contests, we saw Tennessee both jump out to a significant lead and overcome a significant deficit, so the Ravens have yet to quite crack the formula for defeating their nemesis.
Our Guide To The NFL’s Wide-Open Wild-Card Weekend | Neil Paine (neil.paine@fivethirtyeight.com) | January 6, 2021 | FiveThirtyEightBecause Washington lives by the pressure created by its four defensive linemen, quick-release quarterbacks are, in theory, its nemesis.
Pittsburgh’s misshapen schedule has offered Washington a lucky break — and a chance | Thomas M. Boswell | December 3, 2020 | Washington PostWith the occasional assistance of Elizabeth Waring, a Justice Department official who has served both as his nemesis and reluctant helper throughout the series, he must identify, locate and “neutralize” the anonymous forces ranged against him.
‘Eddie’s Boy,’ by Thomas Perry, continues the saga of a retired hit man who can’t escape his past | Bill Sheehan | November 29, 2020 | Washington PostLaunched by a former Google engineer in 2011 to share GIFs, Kuaishou has evolved into a nemesis of Douyin, TikTok’s sister in China.
China’s cash-burning video sector: How Kuaishou lost $1B in 6 months | Rita Liao | November 6, 2020 | TechCrunch
He finally died in a drawn-out battle with his Irish mobster nemesis, John Morrissey.
The Third Reich met its nemesis as much here as it had—albeit in far greater numbers—at Stalingrad.
Neither her name nor her nemesis are among the slurred words I can make out.
The nemesis that emerges most potently is that of reality TV.
Polar Explorer vs. Reality TV Crew: Tim Jarvis in the Footsteps of Shackleton | Darrell Hartman | January 12, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe site is provocative enough in the vegan world to earn its own digital arch-nemesis “30 Bananas A Day…Sucks!”
Why the ‘30 Bananas a Day Diet’ Is Monkey Business | Abby Haglage | January 2, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWe have swift reward and punishment—no hateful things called nemesis.
Mrs. Falchion, Complete | Gilbert ParkerThen, as though grown weary of the idyllic romance she was composing, Fortune donned the tragic robes of nemesis.
The Nabob | Alphonse DaudetWhat 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 SinclairWhen off the island of Moora the nemesis came suddenly upon a fleet of eleven pirate boats, pursuing a trading prahu.
The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.III. | E. Farr and E. H. NolanThe nemesis chased the pirates to the shore, who drew up in line along the beach.
The History of England in Three Volumes, Vol.III. | E. Farr and E. H. Nolan
British Dictionary definitions for Nemesis
/ (ˈnɛmɪsɪs) /
Greek myth the goddess of retribution and vengeance
(sometimes not capital) any agency of retribution and vengeance
Origin of Nemesis
1Collins 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
[ (nem-uh-sis) ]
In classical mythology, the Greek goddess of vengeance.
Notes for Nemesis
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.
Browse