NEMESIS


Meaning of NEMESIS in English

nem ‧ e ‧ sis /ˈneməsəs, ˈnemɪsəs/ BrE AmE noun [singular]

[ Date: 1500-1600 ; Language: Latin ; Origin: Nemesis goddess of destruction, from Greek , from nemein 'to give out' ]

1 . an opponent or enemy that is likely to be impossible for you to defeat, or a situation that is likely to be impossible for you to deal with

meet/face your nemesis

In the final he will meet his old nemesis, Roger Federer.

2 . literary a punishment that is deserved and cannot be avoided

• • •

THESAURUS

■ person

▪ enemy someone who does not like you because you have had a big disagreement with them in the past or someone who opposes you in business or politics:

If that’s how he treats his friends, I’d hate to be his enemy.

|

In business, it’s best not to make too many enemies.

▪ adversary formal an enemy:

When he retired, he was replaced by his old adversary.

|

He made the fatal mistake of underestimating his adversary.

▪ foe literary an enemy:

A guard called out ‘Who goes there – friend or foe?’

|

his former foes

▪ arch enemy someone’s main enemy:

In the movie, Batman goes into battle with his arch enemy the Joker.

▪ opponent someone you are competing against, for example in a sports game, competition, or election:

You win the game if you are left with more cards than your opponent.

|

He is admired even by his political opponents.

▪ nemesis written an enemy or opponent that is impossible to defeat – a rather formal use:

In the final, he met his old nemesis, Rafael Nadal.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English.      Longman - Словарь современного английского языка.