Word of the Day: NEMESIS
Archrival or avenger
nemesis (noun) - a persistent, formidable, often unbeatable foe or problem; an archenemy; an agent of undoing [nem-uh-sis]
the plural of nemesis is nemeses
BREAKDOWN: The highly nuanced and performatively polytheistic Greek mythos seemed to have a deity for everything. Nemesis was the goddess of retribution and vengeance. Her main role was to deliver divine justice to those guilty of the sin of hubris: arrogance before the gods. Nemesis also served as a personification of the resentment aroused by those who committed crimes with impunity or who enjoyed inordinate or undeserved good fortune.
“In spite of Virtue and the Muse,
Nemesis will have her dues,
And all our struggles and our toils
Tighter wind the giant coils.” —Ralph Waldo Emerson
[Our Wednesday Wildcards are fascinating and important words that are not derived from classical roots.]
Another great one, Mike.
Would be interesting to compare nemesis, Achilles’ heel, kryptonite, weak/blind spot, Waterloo, etc.