nemesis
noun
something that a person cannot conquer, achieve, etc..
nemesis
American
[nem-uh-sis]
/ ˈnɛm ə sɪs /
noun
plural
nemeses-
something that a person cannot conquer, achieve, etc..
The performance test proved to be my nemesis.
- Synonyms:
- Waterloo
-
an opponent or rival whom a person cannot best or overcome.
-
(initial capital letter) the goddess of divine retribution.
-
an agent or act of retribution or punishment.
Nemesis
British
/ ˈnɛmɪsɪs /
noun
-
Greek myth the goddess of retribution and vengeance
-
(sometimes not capital) any agency of retribution and vengeance
Nemesis
Cultural
Discover More
By extension, a “nemesis” is an avenger. One's nemesis is that which will bring on one's destruction or downfall.
Etymology
Origin of nemesis
< Latin < Greek némesis literally, a dealing out, verbid of némein to dispense (justice); see -sis
Explanation
Use the word nemesis to describe someone or something that always causes you major problems, like the runner on another school's track team who, for years, has been beating your time by a fraction of a second. The word nemesis describes a rival who just somehow seems able to get the best of you. It can be someone you compete against, someone whose skills are nearly identical to yours and yet, your nemesis always seems to finish ahead of you, get a higher grade, and generally make you feel flustered. Nemesis can also refer to something that always causes you problems, like public speaking, the nemesis of those who get tongue-tied when nervous.
Vocabulary lists containing nemesis
Superhero Lexicon
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The Kite Runner
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A Spelling Bee for Fun
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The best pettiness is acting like your nemesis’ music doesn’t exist.
From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 22, 2024
I'm sure John Boehner is chuckling mordantly at the thought of his former Freedom Caucus nemesis' little dilemma as he sips his glass of Merlot on the back nine.
From Salon • Feb. 3, 2021
For the 1989 “Batman” film, Jack Nicholson lowered the nemesis’ register, making him more menacing but still cartoonish.
From New York Times • Oct. 4, 2019
‘Every smart psycho requires an even smarter nemesis’: Gillian Anderson as DSI Stella Gibson in The Fall.
From The Guardian • May 18, 2013
A movie villain will marry his greatest enemy later this year—that is, he will officiate at his nemesis' real-life wedding.
From Slate • Mar. 22, 2013
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
