"nemesis" meaning in English

See nemesis in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /ˈnɛməsɪs/ Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-nemesis.wav Forms: nemeses [plural]
Etymology: From the Greek goddess of retribution Nemesis (Ancient Greek Νέμεσις (Némesis)). Etymology templates: {{root|en|ine-pro|*nem-}}, {{der|en|grc|Νέμεσις}} Ancient Greek Νέμεσις (Némesis) Head templates: {{en-noun|nemeses}} nemesis (plural nemeses)
  1. (chiefly Canada, US) An enemy, especially an archenemy. Tags: Canada, US Coordinate_terms (archenemy): antagonist, villain, rival, bane, archenemy, adversary
    Sense id: en-nemesis-en-noun-4MRVjBGT Categories (other): American English, Canadian English, Terms with Czech translations Disambiguation of Terms with Czech translations: 12 31 8 30 7 12 Disambiguation of 'archenemy': 83 4 5 4 1 3
  2. (chiefly outside the US and Canada) A person or character who specifically brings about the downfall of another person or character, as an agent of that character's fate or destiny, especially within a narrative. Categories (topical): People
    Sense id: en-nemesis-en-noun-51cxSDZv Disambiguation of People: 12 60 24 3 1 1 Categories (other): Terms with Czech translations, Terms with Macedonian translations Disambiguation of Terms with Czech translations: 12 31 8 30 7 12 Disambiguation of Terms with Macedonian translations: 9 31 10 30 8 12
  3. The personification of the "fatal flaw" of a dramatic hero in the style of Greek tragedy.
    Sense id: en-nemesis-en-noun-n67oRv8~ Categories (other): Terms with Macedonian translations Disambiguation of Terms with Macedonian translations: 9 31 10 30 8 12
  4. Polar opposite, especially of a literary character. Categories (topical): Stock characters Translations (polar opposite of a character): противоположност (protivopoložnost) [feminine] (Bulgarian), tegenvoeter (Dutch), tegenpool [masculine] (Dutch), nemesis (Finnish) Translations (righteous infliction of retribution): отмъщение (otmǎštenie) [neuter] (Bulgarian), отплата (otplata) [feminine] (Bulgarian), 報應 (Chinese Mandarin), 报应 (bàoyìng) (Chinese Mandarin), 剋星 (Chinese Mandarin), 克星 (kèxīng) (Chinese Mandarin), odplata [feminine] (Czech), hyvitys (Finnish), 報復 (hōfuku) (alt: ほうふく) (Japanese), одмазда (odmazda) [feminine] (Macedonian), возме́здие (vozmézdije) [neuter] (Russian), воздая́ние (vozdajánije) [neuter] (Russian), распла́та (raspláta) [feminine] (Russian)
    Sense id: en-nemesis-en-noun-uNpt4M8T Disambiguation of Stock characters: 17 22 3 41 8 10 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 2 entries, Pages with entries, Terms with Bulgarian translations, Terms with Cebuano translations, Terms with Czech translations, Terms with Dutch translations, Terms with Finnish translations, Terms with Japanese translations, Terms with Macedonian translations, Terms with Mandarin translations, Terms with Russian translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 6 24 4 44 9 12 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 3 27 5 44 9 14 Disambiguation of Pages with 2 entries: 4 28 3 40 14 11 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 2 26 2 48 10 12 Disambiguation of Terms with Bulgarian translations: 12 24 8 34 9 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Cebuano translations: 14 22 7 35 9 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Czech translations: 12 31 8 30 7 12 Disambiguation of Terms with Dutch translations: 4 26 6 39 10 15 Disambiguation of Terms with Finnish translations: 12 24 8 34 9 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Japanese translations: 3 25 5 43 10 14 Disambiguation of Terms with Macedonian translations: 9 31 10 30 8 12 Disambiguation of Terms with Mandarin translations: 12 21 11 35 8 13 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 3 25 5 43 10 14 Disambiguation of 'polar opposite of a character': 1 14 1 75 4 5 Disambiguation of 'righteous infliction of retribution': 3 22 4 35 13 22
  5. The principle of retributive justice. Translations (principle of retributive justice): възмездие (vǎzmezdie) [neuter] (Bulgarian), gaba (Cebuano), одмазда (odmazda) [feminine] (Macedonian)
    Sense id: en-nemesis-en-noun-c97R9XmV Disambiguation of 'principle of retributive justice': 1 4 0 7 85 2
  6. (usually in the singular, formal) A punishment or defeat that is deserved and cannot be avoided; (an instance of) retribution. Tags: formal, singular, usually Translations (punishment or defeat that is deserved and cannot be avoided): wrekende gerechtigheid (Dutch), kohtalo (Finnish)
    Sense id: en-nemesis-en-noun-XOmUpbvn Categories (other): Terms with Czech translations, Terms with Macedonian translations Disambiguation of Terms with Czech translations: 12 31 8 30 7 12 Disambiguation of Terms with Macedonian translations: 9 31 10 30 8 12 Disambiguation of 'punishment or defeat that is deserved and cannot be avoided': 0 5 1 6 1 86
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: archnemesis, chocolate nemesis, fremesis, nemetic

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

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          "text": "They were different in many ways but what was it about opposites attracting... […] She was his opposite, but not his nemesis, and they worked well together. She hoped he liked working with her.",
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          "ref": "2020 January 30, Prince Edderson Charlton Jr, The 8 Wundas of the World: Volume One, Lulu Press, Inc, →ISBN, page 4:",
          "text": "Jack took many hits to his body from his nemesis, but to his surprise he barely felt it. Jack's nemesis looked at him with anger in his eyes, clinching his fist to throw the next blow and without hesitation he threw another punch[…]",
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          "_dis1": "1 14 1 75 4 5",
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          "word": "nemesis"
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          "_dis1": "3 22 4 35 13 22",
          "code": "bg",
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          "roman": "otmǎštenie",
          "sense": "righteous infliction of retribution",
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          ],
          "word": "отмъщение"
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          "roman": "otplata",
          "sense": "righteous infliction of retribution",
          "tags": [
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          "word": "отплата"
        },
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          "_dis1": "3 22 4 35 13 22",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "righteous infliction of retribution",
          "word": "報應"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 22 4 35 13 22",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "roman": "bàoyìng",
          "sense": "righteous infliction of retribution",
          "word": "报应"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "3 22 4 35 13 22",
          "code": "cmn",
          "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
          "sense": "righteous infliction of retribution",
          "word": "剋星"
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          "roman": "kèxīng",
          "sense": "righteous infliction of retribution",
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          "code": "cs",
          "lang": "Czech",
          "sense": "righteous infliction of retribution",
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          "_dis1": "3 22 4 35 13 22",
          "code": "fi",
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          "sense": "righteous infliction of retribution",
          "word": "hyvitys"
        },
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          "_dis1": "3 22 4 35 13 22",
          "alt": "ほうふく",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "hōfuku",
          "sense": "righteous infliction of retribution",
          "word": "報復"
        },
        {
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          "code": "mk",
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          "roman": "odmazda",
          "sense": "righteous infliction of retribution",
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          ],
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          "roman": "vozmézdije",
          "sense": "righteous infliction of retribution",
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          ],
          "word": "возме́здие"
        },
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          ],
          "word": "воздая́ние"
        },
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          "sense": "principle of retributive justice",
          "word": "gaba"
        },
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          "_dis1": "0 5 1 6 1 86",
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          "word": "wrekende gerechtigheid"
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          "lang": "Finnish",
          "sense": "punishment or defeat that is deserved and cannot be avoided",
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        }
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      "sense": "archenemy",
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    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "grc",
        "3": "Νέμεσις"
      },
      "expansion": "Ancient Greek Νέμεσις (Némesis)",
      "name": "der"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From the Greek goddess of retribution Nemesis (Ancient Greek Νέμεσις (Némesis)).",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "nemeses",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "nemeses"
      },
      "expansion": "nemesis (plural nemeses)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "American English",
        "Canadian English",
        "English terms with quotations",
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "text": "Batman is in constant conflict with his nemesis, The Joker.",
          "type": "example"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2001 June 1, Mark Hunter, The Powder, Their Paper and Pools of Blood, iUniverse, →ISBN, page 186:",
          "text": "The roofer stayed in touch, committed to the downfall of his nemesis, Mikey. One week after his initial phone call, we were on our way to raid Mikey's trite home armed with a federal search warrant. There were six of us.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2009 April 7, Paul Daffinrud, The Janitor Solves a Murder, iUniverse, →ISBN, page 16:",
          "text": "They were different in many ways but what was it about opposites attracting... […] She was his opposite, but not his nemesis, and they worked well together. She hoped he liked working with her.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "2020 January 30, Prince Edderson Charlton Jr, The 8 Wundas of the World: Volume One, Lulu Press, Inc, →ISBN, page 4:",
          "text": "Jack took many hits to his body from his nemesis, but to his surprise he barely felt it. Jack's nemesis looked at him with anger in his eyes, clinching his fist to throw the next blow and without hesitation he threw another punch[…]",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "An enemy, especially an archenemy."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Canada",
          "Canada"
        ],
        [
          "US",
          "American English"
        ],
        [
          "enemy",
          "enemy"
        ],
        [
          "archenemy",
          "archenemy"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(chiefly Canada, US) An enemy, especially an archenemy."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "Canada",
        "US"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "A person or character who specifically brings about the downfall of another person or character, as an agent of that character's fate or destiny, especially within a narrative."
      ],
      "qualifier": "chiefly outside the US and Canada",
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(chiefly outside the US and Canada) A person or character who specifically brings about the downfall of another person or character, as an agent of that character's fate or destiny, especially within a narrative."
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "The personification of the \"fatal flaw\" of a dramatic hero in the style of Greek tragedy."
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2020 January 13, Lexxie Couper, Unconditional, Lexxie Couper, →ISBN:",
          "text": "“And then, while he's devouring you with his stare, thinking about how much he wants to lick you up, along comes his antithesis, his polar opposite, his nemesis for want of a better word—” “Nemesis?” I interrupted, eyebrows journeying up my forehead. “—who swoops you off your feet and away from him,” Heather continued, ignoring my incredulous expression.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Polar opposite, especially of a literary character."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Polar opposite",
          "polar opposite#English"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "The principle of retributive justice."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "retributive",
          "retributive"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English formal terms",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "2021 November 8, Linzy Erika Dickinson, Theatre in Balzac's La Comedie humaine, BRILL, →ISBN, page 90:",
          "text": "Even Nathan's close associates, who are not yet ready to declare themselves his enemies, accept that his engineered downfall will be his nemesis for harbouring ambitions beyond his status, and do nothing to alert him to the situation[…]",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "A punishment or defeat that is deserved and cannot be avoided; (an instance of) retribution."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "singular",
          "singular"
        ],
        [
          "retribution",
          "retribution"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(usually in the singular, formal) A punishment or defeat that is deserved and cannot be avoided; (an instance of) retribution."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "formal",
        "singular",
        "usually"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/ˈnɛməsɪs/"
    },
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Vealhurl-nemesis.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/d/d0/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-nemesis.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-nemesis.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/d/d0/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-nemesis.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Vealhurl-nemesis.wav.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "vǎzmezdie",
      "sense": "principle of retributive justice",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "възмездие"
    },
    {
      "code": "ceb",
      "lang": "Cebuano",
      "sense": "principle of retributive justice",
      "word": "gaba"
    },
    {
      "code": "mk",
      "lang": "Macedonian",
      "roman": "odmazda",
      "sense": "principle of retributive justice",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "одмазда"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "punishment or defeat that is deserved and cannot be avoided",
      "word": "wrekende gerechtigheid"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "punishment or defeat that is deserved and cannot be avoided",
      "word": "kohtalo"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "protivopoložnost",
      "sense": "polar opposite of a character",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "противоположност"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "polar opposite of a character",
      "word": "tegenvoeter"
    },
    {
      "code": "nl",
      "lang": "Dutch",
      "sense": "polar opposite of a character",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "tegenpool"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "polar opposite of a character",
      "word": "nemesis"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "otmǎštenie",
      "sense": "righteous infliction of retribution",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "отмъщение"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "otplata",
      "sense": "righteous infliction of retribution",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "отплата"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "righteous infliction of retribution",
      "word": "報應"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "bàoyìng",
      "sense": "righteous infliction of retribution",
      "word": "报应"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "sense": "righteous infliction of retribution",
      "word": "剋星"
    },
    {
      "code": "cmn",
      "lang": "Chinese Mandarin",
      "roman": "kèxīng",
      "sense": "righteous infliction of retribution",
      "word": "克星"
    },
    {
      "code": "cs",
      "lang": "Czech",
      "sense": "righteous infliction of retribution",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "odplata"
    },
    {
      "code": "fi",
      "lang": "Finnish",
      "sense": "righteous infliction of retribution",
      "word": "hyvitys"
    },
    {
      "alt": "ほうふく",
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "hōfuku",
      "sense": "righteous infliction of retribution",
      "word": "報復"
    },
    {
      "code": "mk",
      "lang": "Macedonian",
      "roman": "odmazda",
      "sense": "righteous infliction of retribution",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "одмазда"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "vozmézdije",
      "sense": "righteous infliction of retribution",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "возме́здие"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "vozdajánije",
      "sense": "righteous infliction of retribution",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "воздая́ние"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "raspláta",
      "sense": "righteous infliction of retribution",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "распла́та"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "nemesis"
  ],
  "word": "nemesis"
}

Download raw JSONL data for nemesis meaning in English (8.7kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-11-06 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-10-02 using wiktextract (fbeafe8 and 7f03c9b). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.