nemesis

noun

nem·​e·​sis ˈne-mə-səs 

1

Nemesis : the Greek goddess of retributive justice

2

plural nemeses ˈne-mə-ˌsēz 

a

: one that inflicts retribution or vengeance

Many a pursued man fell before his nemesis in the streets …

—Agnes Morely Cleaveland

b

: a formidable and usually victorious rival or opponent

The team was defeated by its old nemesis.

3

plural nemeses

a

: an act or effect of retribution

… pursue them with the nemesis of outraged humanity.

—Donald Culross Peattie

b

: bane sense 1

A nemesis of humankind since the first hand slapped the first cheek, mosquitoes have bitten their way into the American experience …

—Jack 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 of nemesis

• vigilante
• avenger
• punisher

Examples of nemesis in a Sentence

On just the kind of putt that had been a career-long nemesis, he kept his head perfectly still and knocked the ball squarely in the hole. —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.

Recent Examples on the Web

The 64-year-old actress, who originally became a household name on the beloved ‘70s show as protagonist Laura Ingalls’ nemesis Nellie Oleson, made a surprise appearance on the Netflix reboot which premiered on Thursday. — Mekishana Pierre, Entertainment Weekly, 10 July 2026

Golden State is a candidate to sign longtime nemesis LeBron James as an unrestricted free agent. — Joseph Dycus, Mercury News, 9 July 2026

Norway’s Andreas Schjelderup chipped the ball toward the goal from the left side, and Haaland leaped, swung his neck and headed it into the net, outjumping Brazil’s 6-foot-3 defender Gabriel Magalhães, his Premier League nemesis. — Tim Rohan, NBC news, 6 July 2026

Besides, nobody was going to believe that humanity's nemesis hailed from Mars after the Viking landers had sent back photos of a barren, dead world. — Richard Edwards, Space.com, 4 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Latin, borrowed from Greek némesis "retribution, righteous anger, blame," probably derivative (with -esis, analogically extended form of -sis, -tis, suffix of action nouns) of némein "to rule, distribute, apportion" — more at nimble

First Known Use

1561, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for nemesis

• emesis
• hematemesis

Kids Definition

nemesis

noun

nem·​e·​sis ˈnem-ə-səs 

plural nemeses -ə-ˌsēz 

1

a

: one that punishes or avenges

b

: a formidable and usually victorious rival or opponent

2

: an act or instance of just punishment