Eumenides

[ yoo-men-i-deez ]

noun

1. (used with a plural verb) Classical Mythology. a euphemistic name for the Furies, meaning “the Kindly Ones.”
2. (italics) (used with a singular verb) a tragedy (485 b.c.) by Aeschylus.

Eumenides

/ juːˈmɛnɪˌdiːz /

plural noun

1. another name for the Furies, used by the Greeks as a euphemism

Word History and Origins

Origin of Eumenides¹

from Greek, literally: the benevolent ones, from eumenēs benevolent, from eu- + menos spirit

Example Sentences

"A Greek playwright entered a tailor shop. The tailor asked him, 'Euripides?' The tragedian responded, 'Yes, Eumenides?'"

From Salon

The central theme of Aeschylus’s Eumenides is the trial of Orestes, the prince of Argos, for the murder of his mother, Clytemnestra.

From Literature

From the Furies of frightful aspect they became the Benignant Ones, the Eumenides, protectors of the suppliant.

From Literature

“We are fierce and cannot be deviated by man,” the Eumenides remind him.

From New York Times

Most of us don’t know our Euripides from our Eumenides, but it turns out we’re living in a Greek moment anyway.

From New York Times