nemesis

Intermediatezipf 3.34

Pronunciation

/ˈnɛmɪsɪs/(NEM-ih-sis)

Part of speech

nounformal

Chinese

克星；报应；不可避免的惩罚

Definition

An agent of punishment or downfall; a long-standing rival or opponent; the inescapable consequences of one's actions.

Word family

  • (no common derivatives)

Collocations

  • arch-nemesis
  • meet one's nemesis
  • prove someone's nemesis
  • nemesis of hubris

Examples

  1. 1.Debt proved to be the nemesis of the once-mighty empire. (cause of downfall)
  2. 2.Sherlock Holmes and Moriarty are literature's most famous nemesis pairing. (archrival)

Synonyms

  • rival/ˈraɪvəl/— a competitor
  • retribution/ˌrɛtrɪˈbjuːʃən/— punishment for wrongdoing
  • downfall/ˈdaʊnfɔːl/— a loss of power or prosperity

Etymology

from Greek goddess Nemesis — the personification of divine retribution who punished hubris — from "nemein" (to give what is due)