nemesis

See also: Nemesis, Némesis, and Nêmesis

English

Etymology

From the Greek goddess of retribution Nemesis.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈnɛməsɪs/

Noun

nemesis (plural nemeses)

1. (chiefly Canada, US) An archenemy

   Batman is in constant conflict with his nemesis, The Joker.

2. (chiefly non-North American usage) A person or character who specifically brings about the downfall of another person or character.
3. The principle of retributive justice.
4. (usually in the singular, formal) A punishment or defeat that is deserved and cannot be avoided.
5. The polar opposite of a character.
6. A righteous infliction of retribution manifested by an appropriate agent.

Coordinate terms

• antagonist
• villain
• rival
• bane
• archenemy
• adversary

Derived terms

• archnemesis
• chocolate nemesis
• nemetic

Translations

archenemy — see archenemy

principle of retributive justice

• Cebuano: gaba
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Macedonian: одмазда f (odmazda)

punishment or defeat that is deserved and cannot be avoided

• Dutch: wrekende gerechtigheid
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Finnish: kohtalo (fi)

polar opposite of a character

• Dutch: tegenvoeter (nl)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Finnish: nemesis (fi)

righteous infliction of retribution

• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 報應／报应 (zh) (bàoyìng), 报应 (zh) (bàoyìng), 剋星／克星 (zh) (kèxīng), 克星 (kèxīng)

• Czech: odplata f
• Finnish: hyvitys (fi)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Japanese: 報復 (ほうふく, hōfuku)
• Macedonian: одмазда f (odmazda)
• Russian: возме́здие (ru) n (vozmézdije), воздая́ние (ru) n (vozdajánije), распла́та (ru) f (raspláta)

Anagrams

• Meissen, Semiens, misseen, siemens

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Latin

Pronunciation

• (Classical Latin) IPA^(key): /ˈne.me.sis/, [ˈnɛmɛs̠ɪs̠]
• (modern Italianate Ecclesiastical) IPA^(key): /ˈne.me.sis/, [ˈnɛːmes̬is]

Noun

nemesis f (genitive nemesis or nemeseōs or nemesios); third declension

1. nemesis

Declension

Third-declension noun (Greek-type, i-stem, i-stem).

Case	Singular	Plural
Nominative	nemesis	nemesēs nemeseis
Genitive	nemesis nemeseōs nemesios	nemesium
Dative	nemesī	nemesibus
Accusative	nemesim nemesin nemesem1	nemesēs nemesīs
Ablative	nemesī nemese1	nemesibus
Vocative	nemesis nemesi	nemesēs nemeseis

¹Found sometimes in Medieval and New Latin.

Descendants

• Italian: nemesi
• Swedish: nemesis