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erinyes

noun/ˈfjʊriz/

one of the three goddess deities of vengeance in ancient Greek mythology

In ancient Greek tragedies, the protagonist often faces the wrath of the Erinyes, who relentlessly pursue those guilty of crimes against family.

FuriesVengeancesAvenging Spirits
word origin — From Latin 'Furiae', derived from Greek 'Erinyes'.

erinyes, entropy, personifier, hamartia, raconteur: meanings and examples

Learn these 5 words from Word Ultra set 267. Each entry includes a definition, example sentence, pronunciation, and synonyms. Use the interactive cards above to practice them.

  1. erinyes · noun/ˈfjʊriz/

    one of the three goddess deities of vengeance in ancient Greek mythology

    In ancient Greek tragedies, the protagonist often faces the wrath of the Erinyes, who relentlessly pursue those guilty of crimes against family.

    Synonyms: Furies, Vengeances, Avenging Spirits

    Origin: From Latin 'Furiae', derived from Greek 'Erinyes'.

  2. entropy · noun/ˈɛntrəpi/

    a measure of the disorder or randomness in a system

    As the system reaches thermal equilibrium, the entropy increases, reflecting the growing disorder of the particles involved.

    Synonyms: disorder, randomness, chaos

    Origin: from Greek 'entropia', meaning 'a turning towards', from 'en-' (in) + 'tropos' (turn, change)

  3. personifier · noun/pərˈsɑnɪfaɪər/

    one that personifies or attributes human characteristics to something nonhuman

    The author is a skilled personifier, bringing inanimate objects to life with vivid descriptions.

    Synonyms: humanizer, characterizer, embodyer

    Origin: from the Latin 'personificare', meaning 'to embody or represent in human form' (from 'persona', meaning 'person' + 'facere', meaning 'to make')

  4. hamartia · noun/həˈmɑrˌtiə/

    a fatal flaw leading to the downfall of a tragic hero

    In Shakespeare's play, the protagonist's hamartia leads him to make irreversible decisions that ultimately result in his tragic fall.

    Synonyms: tragic flaw, fatal flaw, error in judgment

    Origin: from Greek hamartia meaning 'to miss the mark' or 'error'

  5. raconteur · noun/ˌrækənˈtɜr/

    a person who tells stories in an entertaining way

    At the party, John captivated everyone with his tales of adventure, revealing himself to be a true raconteur.

    Synonyms: storyteller, narrator, teller

    Origin: French 'raconteur', from 'raconter' meaning 'to recount' or 'to tell'