nemesis

ennemi juré, bête noire

Principal ennemi d’une personne ou adversaire qu’elle a particulièrement du mal à vaincre.

En anglais simple : Someone who is your main enemy or a rival you find especially difficult to beat.

• That team is our nemesis.
• She finally defeated her longtime nemesis.
• The detective faced his nemesis again.

Synonymes : archenemy, enemy, rival

Contraires : ally

Expressions courantes : someone’s nemesis, face a nemesis, longtime nemesis

némésis

Personne qui provoque la défaite finale ou la ruine d’une autre, souvent comme si c’était son destin.

En anglais simple : Someone whose actions cause another person’s final defeat or ruin, often as if this were their fate.

• The betrayed servant became the king’s nemesis.
• His nemesis brought his rule to an end.
• The story reveals who will be the hero’s nemesis.

Synonymes : destroyer

Expressions courantes : become someone’s nemesis, tragic nemesis

incarnation du défaut tragique

Personnage qui représente la faiblesse personnelle causant l’échec d’un héros tragique.

En anglais simple : A character who represents the personal weakness that causes a tragic hero to fail.

• The nemesis represents the hero’s pride.
• In this tragedy, his nemesis gives his weakness a human face.
• The critic described the character as the hero’s nemesis.

Expressions courantes : hero’s nemesis, tragic nemesis

antithèse, opposé

Personne ou personnage dont les principales qualités sont totalement opposées à celles d’un autre.

En anglais simple : A person or character who is completely different from another in their main qualities.

• The gentle brother is the warrior’s nemesis.
• Her nemesis is generous where she is selfish.
• The novel presents two characters as each other’s nemesis.

Synonymes : antithesis, opposite

Expressions courantes : someone’s nemesis, moral nemesis