nemesis

noun

ˈne-mə-səs How to pronounce nemesis (audio)
Definition of nemesisnext
1
as in vigilante
one who inflicts punishment in return for an injury or offense Batman is the Joker's main nemesis and always foils his wicked plots

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in punishment
suffering, loss, or hardship imposed in response to a crime or offense social ostracism was once society's nemesis for those who defied its sexual mores

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in curse
a source of harm or misfortune irrationality is the nemesis of democracy, for good government depends upon the wisdom of the electorate

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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of nemesis The teaser also offers glimpses of Vincent Lindon as Jean Valjean, the ex-convict who rebuilds his life as a benevolent industrialist, and Tahar Rahim as Inspector Javert, Valjean’s relentless nemesis. — Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 2 July 2026 Thanks to the arch nemesis of both clubs in question, Real Madrid, Alvarez’s market value is believed to be something around the $171 million (€150 million) the mark. — Tom Sanderson, Forbes.com, 1 July 2026 Ninety minutes later, Venezuela’s acting President Delcy Rodríguez retweeted the message from the Central American leader – a man whom the regime’s Chavista movement has long regarded as a political nemesis – instructing Venezuela’s foreign ministry to coordinate the support. — Gonzalo Zegarra, CNN Money, 29 June 2026 Laine MacNeil had her first major role playing Greg Heffley's know-it-all nemesis Patty Farrell in the first three installments of the Wimpy Kid franchise, including Rodrick Rules and Dog Days. — Gillian Telling, PEOPLE, 29 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for nemesis
Recent Examples of Synonyms for nemesis
  1. vigilante
  2. punishment
  3. curse
  4. avenger
  5. wrath
  6. bane
  7. punisher
  8. penalty
Noun
  • The latest announcement may buy the government a reprieve with civic groups, who have begun acting as vigilante labor inspectors, entering factories to check for foreign workers.
    — Tiisetso Motsoeneng, semafor.com, 13 July 2026
  • Ramaphosa warned South Africans against taking the law into their own hands following reports of some vigilante attacks against migrants.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 13 July 2026
Definition of vigilante
Noun
  • Wildfires have also scorched thousands of acres in Arizona, which led Phoenix to ban all fireworks on city property including parks and within 1 mile of nature preserves, with punishments including $2,500 fines.
    — Amen Galinato, CNN Money, 4 July 2026
  • The parliament in England created laws against Quakers, forbidding them to worship freely, charging them with punishments for refusing to take oaths or refusing to remove their hats.
    — Tesfaye Negussie, ABC News, 3 July 2026
Definition of punishment
Noun
  • That 2016 film introduced Johnson as demigod Maui alongside Auli’i Cravalho as the titular girl with exceptional navigation skills, with the pair teaming up to stop a curse from targeting her island.
    — Ryan Gajewski, HollywoodReporter, 11 July 2026
  • Everything the man is touching nowadays turns into gold for him and rot for the rest of us, a curse any smart person would avoid.
    — Gustavo Arellano, Los Angeles Times, 8 July 2026
Definition of curse
Noun
  • Speaking of that last vampire subject, this is also a great episode for Jacob Anderson in the B-plot, as Louis plays the reluctant avenger doing that loveable scoundrel Raglan James’s dirty work in two stand-out action sequences.
    — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 22 June 2026
  • Instead, the young, webbed avenger kept limber by performing headstands and flips and cartwheels on the grass.
    — Mary Carole McCauley, Baltimore Sun, 20 June 2026
Definition of avenger
Noun
  • In Homer’s Odyssey, the Greek hero Odysseus must overcome tempests, temptations, mythical monsters, and divine wrath to sail home to the island of Ithaca after the Trojan War.
    — Encyclopedia Britannica, Encyclopedia Britannica, 6 July 2026
  • By banning a cruise ship full of American LGBTQ+ travelers from docking in its country’s ports, Turkish authorities have drawn the wrath of Broadway’s formidable Patti LuPone.
    — Greg Evans, Deadline, 3 July 2026
Definition of wrath
Noun
  • Finger joint strains are the bane of long hours spent daily on the computer, which is what led Melvin Wong, founder and engineer at Airra Labs, to build a better computer mouse – the Rotary Mouse, which is currently on Kickstarter.
    — Shirl Leigh July 12, New Atlas, 12 July 2026
  • Now, decades later, weekday lunches have become the bane of my existence.
    — Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 12 June 2026
Definition of bane
Noun
  • Montgomery has barely been in the big leagues for two months but has already put his name alongside a couple of franchise icons (and another hard-core punisher of baseballs).
    — Phil Rogers, Forbes.com, 9 Sep. 2025
Definition of punisher
Noun
  • Both could have added to their tallies by converting penalties over the past five weeks, but Messi has missed two during this World Cup and Mbappe one.
    — Eduardo Tansley, New York Times, 18 July 2026
  • If convicted, the Henrichsens face a maximum penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine.
    — Emma Tucker, CNN Money, 18 July 2026
Definition of penalty

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nemesis
neocon
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Cite this Entry

“Nemesis.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/nemesis. Accessed 20 Jul. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on nemesis

Nglish: Translation of nemesis for Spanish Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about nemesis

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