Nemesis Is Not Just a Rival
A nemesis is an agent of downfall or just punishment. The word names a Greek goddess, and using it simply to mean enemy loses the point.
A nemesis is the thing that brings about someone's downfall, especially deservedly. Nemesis was the Greek goddess who punished excess and arrogance, so the word carries the idea of justice, not just opposition. A rival who happens to beat you is not really your nemesis; the flaw that undoes you is.
- An agent of downfall or retribution. *Pride was his nemesis.*
- A long-standing opponent. *Her old nemesis from law school.*
- Retribution itself. *Nemesis caught up with him.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Noun | nemesis | His nemesis. |
| Plural | nemeses | Two nemeses. |
| Related | hubris | Hubris invites nemesis. |
| Related | retribution | Swift retribution. |
| Related | comeuppance | He got his comeuppance. |
How it is used in a sentence
- Overconfidence proved to be his nemesis.The precise use: the cause of the fall.
- They met their nemesis in the final.The looser use, meaning a familiar opponent.
- Hubris is followed by nemesis.The Greek pairing.
Greek ideas that stayed in English
- Hubris — overreaching pride
- Nemesis — the punishment it invites
- Catharsis — emotional release through drama
- Pathos — the quality that evokes pity
- Ethos — the character of a person or community
From Greek *nemesis*, righteous indignation, from *nemein*, to distribute or allot what is due. The goddess dealt out what people had earned.
What is the plural?
Nemeses, following the Greek pattern of crisis and crises.
Is *nemesis* the same as an arch-enemy?
Not strictly. An arch-enemy is simply an opponent. A nemesis brings deserved downfall, which is why the word implies a fault in the person who falls.