nemesis

Useful takeaways from this story.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 22, 2026 is: nemesis Â• \NEM-uh-siss\Â Â• noun A nemesis is a formidable foeâ€"an opponent or enemy who is very difficult to defeat.

See the entry > Examples: "There were never any doubts about the man playing He-Man's nemesis, Skeletor.

Frank Langella had caught Goddard's eye in 'Amadeus' on Broadway, andâ€"buried under some impressive make-upâ€"relished the opportunity to ham it up as Eternia's villain-in-chief." â€" Richard Edwards,...

Building the complete brief

The page is ready to read now. The fuller skim-friendly version will appear here automatically.

The useful part

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for September 22, 2026 is: nemesis Â• \NEM-uh-siss\Â Â• noun A nemesis is a formidable foeâ€"an opponent or enemy who is very difficult to defeat. See the entry > Examples: "There were never any doubts about the man playing He-Man's nemesis, Skeletor. Frank Langella had caught Goddard's eye in 'Amadeus' on Broadway, andâ€"buried under some impressive make-upâ€"relished the opportunity to ham it up as Eternia's villain-in-chief." â€" Richard Edwards, Space.com, 12 Aug.

How it works

Nemesis was the Greek goddess of vengeance, a deity who doled out rewards for noble acts and punishment for evil ones.
Nemesis didn't always punish an offender immediately but might wait generations to avenge a crime.
In English, nemesis originally referred to someone who brought a just retribution, but nowadays people are more likely to see simple animosity rather than justice in the actions of a nemesis.

Details worth keeping

As a proper noun, Nemesis refers to the Greek goddess of vengeance. // She will be playing against her old nemesis for the championship.

Keep reading in the app

Open the app view to save this story, compare related coverage, and continue from the same source.

Open in app