nemesis
noun
Agnes Morely CleavelandDonald Culross PeattieJack Cox
Did you know?
Nemesis and Greek Mythology
Nemesis was the Greek goddess of vengeance, a deity who doled out rewards for noble acts and punishment for evil ones. The Greeks believed that Nemesis didn't always punish an offender immediately but might wait generations to avenge a crime. In English, nemesis originally referred to someone who brought a just retribution, but nowadays people are more likely to see simple animosity rather than justice in the actions of a nemesis (consider the motivations of Batman’s perennial foe the Joker, for example).
Synonyms
Examples of nemesis in a Sentence
Jaime Diaz, Sports Illustrated, 20 Feb. 1995
Japan and Iraq have been floated as possible successors for the role once filled by Amercia's old nemesis, the Soviet Union …
—Michiko Kakutani, New York Times, 18 June 1993
In the beginning were the words, winged at first until, paralysed, they fell to earth and were imprisoned by their nemesis, the alphabet.
—Erich Segal, Times Literary Supplement, 12 July 1991
Thus, once surgeons implant the new graft, tissue rejection—the unforgiving nemesis of most transplant attempts—occurs in only 3% to 5% of cases.
—Christine Gorman et al., Time, 7 Dec. 1987
He will be playing his old nemesis for the championship.
Batman is the Joker's main nemesis and always foils his wicked plots.
Nick Vivarelli, Variety, 22 Apr. 2024
But Cats must dispel the notion of Tampa as a nemesis.
—Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 21 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for nemesis 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nemesis.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to nemesis
Dictionary Entries Near nemesis
Cite this Entry
“Nemesis.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nemesis. Accessed 4 May. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nemesis
noun
Share